The Engineer (United Kingdom) (01/31/12)
U.S. scientists have developed a new mechanism for drug release, using 3-D superhydrophobic materials that exploit air as a removable barrier to control the rate of release. The research team used an electrospinning fabrication method to prepare drug-loaded, superhydrophobic meshes from biocompatible polymers. The team monitored drug release in aqueous solution and mesh performance in cytotoxicity assays to demonstrate that the rate of drug release correlates with the removal of the air pocket within the material. The release rate, they reported, can be maintained over an extended period. "The ability to control drug release over a two- to three-month period is of significant clinical interest in thoracic surgery, with applications in pain management and in the prevention of tumor recurrence after surgical resection," said researcher Yolonda Colson, director of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) Cancer Center. The authors noted that this approach should help further study of these drug-delivery materials in a variety of applications. The research has been published in the Jan. 16 issue of the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

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