Smart MOF-Integrated Biopolymeric Hydrogel Systems: A Novel Strategy for Sustained Anticancer Drug Delivery

Abstract

This study was designed to propose a novel drug delivery system (DDS) on U87 human glioblastoma cell lines using iron-based metal organic frameworks MIL-88B(NH2) as a drug delivery vehicle integrated with sodium alginate and polyvinyl alcohol hydrogel. Initially, the co-precipitation method was used to synthesize MIL-88B(NH2) and drug-loaded iron MOF particles while the hydrogel was crosslinked physically and chemically with calcium chloride and glutaraldehyde. Through tensile testing, results showed that SA-PVA thin films had the best mechanical properties at 5:5. XRD, SEM, FTIR, AFM, and DLS analyses were used to confirm the synthesis of fabricated iron MOFs particles, SA-PVA hydrogels, and drug-loaded MIL-88B(NH₂) particles integrated SA-PVA hydrogels. According to the AFM and DLS, the average size of the drug-loaded MIL-88B(NH2) particles was approximately in the range of 1-10 μm. The 5-Fluorouracil release profile was performed by UV-Vis’s spectroscopy, and the fabricated SA-PVA@NH2-MIL-88B@5-FU thin films showed controlled release behavior. Additionally, Fe-MIL-88B(NH2) incorporated in the SA-PVA thin films enhanced their stability and showed controlled and prolonged releasing behavior. Furthermore, following a 48-hour incubation period, fabricated DDS's cytotoxicity on human glioblastoma cancer cell lines showed a high viability.