Hydrogel Releases Drugs in Response to Tumor Microenvironment

Cancer drugs can break down in the body before they reach a tumor environment.  To address this, scientists at the Tokyo University of Science had developed a hydrogel containing cancer drugs that target tumors by their temperature and pH.  “The team’s hydrogel is made from synthetic polymers and organic compounds and incorporates amino groups. This enables them to shrink and swell in response to both changing temperatures and pH levels, and release their drugs as a result. This was demonstrated through lab experiments that replicated the acidity and temperatures of a tumor microenvironment, with the network structure of the hydrogel proving capable of preserving the drugs until it came time for delivery.”  MORE

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