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Publications

by Keyword: Electrostimulation

Munoz-Galan, H, Molina, BG, Bertran, O, Perez-Madrigal, MM, Aleman, C, (2022). Combining rapid and sustained insulin release from conducting hydrogels for glycemic control br European Polymer Journal 181, 111670

Innovative insulin delivery systems contemplate combining multi-pharmacokinetic profiles for glycemic control. Two device configurations have been designed for the controlled release of insulin using the same chemical compounds. The first insulin delivery system, which displays a rapid release response that, in addition, is enhanced on a short time scale by electrical stimulation, consists on an insulin layer sandwiched between a conducting poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) film and a poly-gamma-glutamic acid (gamma-PGA) hydrogel. The second system is constituted by gamma-PGA hydrogel loaded with insulin and PEDOT nanoparticles by in situ gelation. In this case, the insulin release, which only starts after the degradation of the hydrogel over time (i.e. on a long time scale), is slow and sustained. The combination of an on-demand and fast release profile with a sustained and slow profile, which act on different time scales, would result in a very efficient regulation of diabetes therapy in comparison to current systems, allowing to control both fast and sustained glycemic events. Considering that the two systems developed in this work are based on the same chemical components, future work will be focused on the combination of the two kinetic profiles by re-engineering a unique insulin release device using gamma-PGA, PEDOT and insulin.

JTD Keywords: Conducting polymer, Constant, Diabetes, Diabetes-mellitus, Drug-delivery, Electrodes, Electrostimulation, Glucose-responsive hydrogels, Hydrogel, Molecular dynamics, Molecular-dynamics, Nanogels, Nanoparticles, Poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), Risk


Molina, BG, Vasani, RB, Jarvis, KL, Armelin, E, Voelcker, NH, Aleman, C, (2022). Dual pH- and electro-responsive antibiotic-loaded polymeric platforms for effective bacterial detection and elimination Reactive & Functional Polymers 181, 105434

We describe a multi-tasking flexible system that is able to release a wide spectrum antibiotic (levofloxacin, LVX) under electrostimulation and act as a pH sensor for detecting bacterial infections. Combining anodic polymer-ization with plasma polymerization processes we engineered dual pH-and electro-responsive polymeric systems. Particularly, the manufactured devices consisted on a layer of poly(hydroxymethyl-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PHEDOT) loaded with the LVX antibiotic and coated with a plasma polymer layer of poly(acrylic acid) (PAA). The PHEDOT acted as conductive and electro-responsive agent, while the PAA provided pH responsiveness, changing from a compact globular conformation in acid environments to an expanded open coil conformation in alkaline environments. The assembly between the PHEDOT layer and the PAA coating affected the electro-chemical response of the former, becoming dependent on the pH detected by the latter. The conformational change experienced by the PAA layer as a function of the pH and the redox properties of PHEDOT were leveraged for the electrochemical detection of bacteria growth and for regulating the release of the LVX antibiotic, respectively. The effectiveness of the system as a stimulus-responsive antibiotic carrier and pH sensor was also investigated on strains of Escherichia coli and Streptococcus salivarius.

JTD Keywords: Conducting polymer, Delivery, Drug delivery, Electrostimulation, Levofloxacin, Ph sensor, Plasma, Poly(acrylic acid), Selective detection