Double stimuli-responsive polymer systems: How to use crosstalk between pH- and thermosensitivity for drug depots

Long-term in vivo dissolution of thermo- and pH-responsive, 19F magnetic resonance-traceable and injectable polymer implants

19F magnetic resonance (19F MR) tracers stand out for their wide range of applications in experimental and clinical medicine, as they can be precisely located in living tissues with negligible fluorine background. This contribution demonstrates the long-term dissolution of multiresponsive fluorinated implants designed for prolonged release. Implants were detected for 14 (intramuscular injection) and 20 (subcutaneous injection) months by 19F MR at 4.7 T, showing favorable MR relaxation times, biochemical stability, biological compatibility and slow, long-term dissolution. Thus, polymeric implants may become a platform for long-term local theranostics.

Implant-forming polymeric 19F MRI-tracer with tunable dissolution

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using ¹⁹F-based tracers has emerged as a promising multi-purpose noninvasive diagnostic tool and its application requires the use of various ¹⁹F-based tracers for the intended diagnostic purpose. In this study, we report a series of double-stimuli-responsive polymers for use as injectable implants, which were designed to form implants under physiological conditions, and to subsequently dissolve with different dissolution rates (t_1/2 ranges from 30 to more than 250 days). Our polymers contain a high concentration of fluorine atoms, providing remarkable signal detectability, and both a hydrophilic monomer and a pH-responsive monomer that alter the biodistribution properties of the implant. The implant location and dissolution were observed using ¹⁹F MRI, which allows the anatomic extent of the implant to be monitored. The dissolution kinetics and biocompatibility of these materials were thoroughly analyzed. No sign of toxicity in vitro or in vivo or pathology in vivo was observed, even in chronic administration. The clinical applicability of our polymers was further confirmed via imaging of a rat model by employing an instrument currently used in human medicine.

Fluorine polymer probes for magnetic resonance imaging: quo vadis?

Over the last few years, the development and relevance of 19F magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for use in clinical practice has emerged. MRI using fluorinated probes enables the achievement of a specific signal with high contrast in MRI images. However, to ensure sufficient sensitivity of 19F MRI, fluorine probes with a high content of chemically equivalent fluorine atoms are required. The majority of 19F MRI agents are perfluorocarbon emulsions, which have a broad range of applications in molecular imaging, although the content of fluorine atoms in these molecules is limited. In this review, we focus mainly on polymer probes that allow higher fluorine content and represent versatile platforms with properties tailorable to a plethora of biomedical in vivo applications. We discuss the chemical development, up to the first imaging applications, of these promising fluorine probes, including injectable polymers that form depots that are intended for possible use in cancer therapy.

Repetitive on-demand drug release from polymeric matrices containing a macroscopic spherical iron core

A system for multiple on-demand drug release has been prepared that can be activated with an alternating magnetic field as external trigger. The core/shell samples have been developed based on a macroscopic spherical iron core coated with a thermoresponsive polymer, poly(styrene-stat-butyl methacrylate), containing ibuprofen as a model drug. During exposure of the samples to the magnetic field (ON state), the release rate of ibuprofen is significantly increased, up to 35 times the release rate without the magnetic field (OFF state). Using one sample or two samples in line with the magnetic field does not influence the ON/OFF ratio of the system, showing the possibility of using multiple samples to increase and tune the drug dose. Increasing the concentration of ibuprofen in the polymer layer is shown to increase the release rate in both the ON and OFF states. Increasing the size of the iron core and, consequently, decreasing the polymer thickness, was found to only increase the release rate during exposure resulting in higher ON/OFF ratios. The developed on demand drug delivery systems represents a promising development towards on demand drug delivery implants.

REFLECTIONS ON CAREER GOALS

During my chemical engineering studies, it was only during my master thesis work that I decided to continue with PhD research as I really enjoyed doing original research. When coming to the end of my PhD research under supervision of Prof. Ulrich S. Schubert, I developed the ambition to pursue an academic career. Fortunately, I got the opportunity to stay with Prof. Schubert as project leader for the Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI). Within this position, I supervised ten researchers and was able to start developing my independent research lines. Despite that I now advise students to not stay in the same laboratory, this first position allowed me to gain some initial independence and to publish a large number of papers that has been a great benefit in my further career. After two and a half years I needed a new challenge that I found by taking up a part-time position at a start-up company in Eindhoven, Dolphys Medical BV, while I also continued as part-time group leader for the DPI. As senior product developer, I was in charge of the research and learned to focus on the application rather than scientific curiosity. This experience made me realize that I prefer the freedom to do academic blue sky research and decided to fully go for an academic position. After personal discussions with some prominent professors in the Netherlands, I applied for a postdoc fellowship in the Netherlands with Prof. Roeland Nolte as well as a Humboldt fellowship in Germany with Prof. Martin Möller, which I both got. As a result, I went one year 'abroad' to Aachen and returned to Nijmegen where I intended to start my independent career. However, another opportunity came along. Via my personal network I was informed that I would make a good chance if I applied for a new professor scheme in Ghent. So I applied and the rest is history. Picture of the Supramolecular Chemistry Group (2017).