文摘
Hydrogels have exhibited remarkable benefits in drug delivery such as local delivery, days or even weeks of continuous drug release with improved bioavailability, and minimized adverse effects. Here we report a polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticle-knotted poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogel for on-demand drug delivery and combined chemo-photothermal therapy. Anticancer drugs such as 7-ethyl-10-hydroxycamptothecin (SN38) loaded on PDA nanoparticles via π–π interaction in the gel exhibit minimal leakage at physiological conditions and could be released in an on-demand fashion upon near-infrared light exposure. The hydrogel shows excellent biocompatibility and does not induce any foreign-body reaction over a four-month implantation. The in vivo results demonstrate that the PDA nanoparticle-knotted PEG hydrogel loaded with SN38 could efficiently suppress tumor growth by a combined chemo-photothermal therapy. This smart hydrogel would benefit a series of local treatments for diverse diseases.