(647h) Nanostructured Polymer Monoliths for Biomedical Applications

Drug delivery systems are designed to control the release rate of therapeutic agents and the location where they are released in the body to achieve better drug efficacy and lower advert side effect. Among them, drug-releasing implants have shown the capability to provide sustained and localized release of drugs at the site of interest. We aim at the use of nanostructured polymer monoliths synthesized by polymerization-induced microphase separation (PIMS) as potential implantable devices. Poly(ethylene oxide) homopolymers as model molecules were incorporated to the bicontinuous poly(ethylene oxide) domain in the cross-linked robust polystyrene matrix. The in vitro release of poly(ethylene oxide) from monoliths by diffusion were investigated under different conditions, including poly(ethylene oxide) loading and molar mass, as well as the molar mass of poly(ethylene oxide) macro-chain transfer agent used for the preparation of the monoliths. Furthermore, we invented nanostructured microneedle patches by combining PIMS and nanofabrication techniques. Microneedles can penetrate the outermost barrier of skin to achieve efficient and long-term transdermal drug delivery in a painless manner, offering great advantages over traditional hypodermic injection.