Thermoresponsive biodegradable HEMA–Lactate–Dextran-co-NIPA cryogels for controlled release of simvastatin

Abstract

NIPA and HEMA–lactate–Dextran-based biodegradable and thermoresponsive cryogels were synthesized at different compositions by cryogelation. Chemical and morphological properties of the HEMA–lactate–Dextran-co-NIPA cryogel matrices were demonstrated by FTIR, SEM, and ESEM. Thermoresponsivity of the prepared cryogels was investigated by DSC, imaging NMR, and swelling studies. For possible use of the cryogels in potential bone tissue engineering applications, either hydrophobic simvastatin was embedded, or hydrophilic simvastatin was incorporated in the cryogels. Release profiles of simvastatin delivering cryogel scaffolds depending on their composition, hydrophobicity or hydrophilicity of loaded simvastatin and the medium temperature were demonstrated.

Keywords::

• cryogels
• biodegradable
• drug release
• thermoresponsive

Acknowledgments

Erhan Pişkin was supported by the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) as a full member. The authors would like to express their thanks to Dr. Leoncio Garrido for his kind help on the iNMR experiments. Financial support from the NoE. EXPERTISSUES (UE contrac N°: 500283-2), MAT2010-18155 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the “Eugenio Rodríguez Pascual Foundation” project are gratefully acknowledged.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no declarations of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.