3 research outputs found
Real-Time Fluorescence Tracking of Protoporphyrin Incorporated Thermosensitive Hydrogel and Its Drug Release <i>in Vivo</i>
Fluorescence imaging <i>in vivo</i> will pave an important way for the evaluation of biomaterials. The
major advantage of fluorescence imaging compared to other imaging
modalities is the possibility of tracking two or more fluorescence
probes simultaneously with multispectral fluorescence imaging. It
is essential to elucidate the location, erosion, drug release and
resection of implanted biomaterials <i>in vivo</i>. Herein,
a thermosensitive hydrogel with a protoporphyrin core based on a PEG
and PCL copolymer (PCL–PEG–PPOR–PEG–PCL)
was synthesized by ring-opening polymerization using protoporphyrin
as a fluorescence tag. The optical properties of the hydrogel were
investigated by UV–vis and fluorescence spectroscopy <i>in vitro</i> and by fluorescence imaging system <i>in vivo</i>. The hydrogel erosion and drug delivery <i>in vivo</i> were monitored and tracked by multispectral fluorescence imaging
system in nude mice. The results show that the thermosensitive hydrogel
exhibits fluorescence and injectability <i>in vivo</i> with
good biocompatibility. Through the modality of fluorescence imaging,
the status of the hydrogel is reflected <i>in situ</i> <i>in vivo</i> including its location and erosion. Multispectral
analysis separates the autofluorescence signals from the specific
label and provides the ability to locate the drug and carrier. The
protoporphyrin incorporated thermosensitive hydrogel can be a potential
visiable biomedical implant for tissue repair or drug delivery
Incorporation of Poly(ethylene 2,5-furanoate) into Poly(butylene adipate-<i>co</i>-terephthalate) toward Sustainable Food Packaging Films with Enhanced Strength and Barrier Properties
The development of environment-friendly biodegradable
materials
has aroused widespread attention and interest. Herein, kilogram-scale
poly(ethylene 2,5-furanoate) (PEF) was synthesized and incorporated
into poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)
via melt-compounding. Then, the PBAT/PEF blend films were prepared
by the extrusion blowing method. The results showed that PEF could
greatly improve the tensile performance and tear resistance of PBAT/PEF
blend films. The superior mechanical properties were achieved in PBAT/PEF10
blend films with a tensile strength of 44.3 ± 2.9 MPa and an
elongation at break of 900.5 ± 21.9%. Besides, the transmittance
of oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water
vapor sharply reduced by 78.8, 74, and 48.3% in comparison with those
of a pure PBAT film, respectively. The inherent barrier characteristic
of PEF and the enhanced bonding between PBAT and PEF contributed to
the excellent gas and water vapor barrier performance. Furthermore,
PBAT/PEF blend films were used for the fruit preservation tests. After
a 15 day preservation, the freshness of fruits covered with PBAT/PEF
films was well kept, showing great potentialin food packing applications
Real-Time Imaging Tracking of a Dual Fluorescent Drug Delivery System Based on Zinc Phthalocyanine-Incorporated Hydrogel
Real-time tracking of a drug delivery
system and its therapeutic
effects in vivo are crucial to designing a novel pharmaceutical system
and revealing the mechanism of drug therapy. Multispectral fluorescence
imaging can locate the drug and carrier simultaneously without interference.
This advanced method enables the tracking of a drug delivery system.
Herein, a doxorubicin (Dox) loaded zinc phthalocyanine incorporated
hydrogel was developed as a dual fluorescent drug delivery system
to monitor the release of the drug and the degradation of the carrier.
An injectable thermosensitive hydrogel based on a four-arm polyÂ(ethylene
glycol) (PEG)–polyÂ(ε-Caprolactone) (PCL) copolymer was
prepared and characterized with a zinc phthalocyanine core as the
drug carrier. The hydrogel degradation and drug delivery in vivo were
tracked by a multispectral fluorescence imaging system in nude mice
bearing hepatic tumors. Moreover, the real-time tumor inhibition progress
was tracked in vivo for 18 days by bioluminescence imaging. A multispectral
analysis can separate the fluorescence signals from the drug and carrier
in the Dox loaded hydrogel and provide their location in the tumor
tissue. The drug release and hydrogel degradation can be drastically
tracked respectively without mutual interference. The fluorescence
imaging results reveal improved tumor inhibitory effects of the Dox
loaded hydrogel. Optical imaging allows for visible tracking of the
entire drug delivery process. The Dox loaded phthalocyanine incorporated
thermosensitive hydrogel is a potential visible drug delivery system
for tumor therapy