(62ai) PEG-Fe3O4 Hydrogel Nanocomposites for Combined Chemotherapy and Hyperthermia Treatment of Cancer

Chemotherapy is a conventional cancer treatment that is still limiting for some types of cancer. Hyperthermia, the heating of cancerous tissues to 40-45°C, can increase the efficacy of chemotherapy, specifically paclitaxel. We hypothesize that iron oxide hydrogel nanocomposites can be used for a dual-therapy application to treat cancer. Hydrogels composed of the macromer poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) methyl methacrylate and crosslinker poly(ethylene glycol) dimethacrylate were fabricated with iron oxide nanoparticles incorporated in the hydrogel matrix. These nanoparticles can be remotely heated by an alternating magnetic field (AMF), thus producing the hyperthermia effect from the nanocomposite. When imbibed with paclitaxel, the hydrogels have the potential to provide synergistic heating and chemotherapy in a local area. Swelling analysis indicated an inverse relationship between temperature and volume swelling ratio (Q), and between crosslinking density and Q. AMF heating of the hydrogel nanocomposites indicated higher crosslinked hydrogels exhibit a greater ΔT. Hydrogels with lower crosslinking densities exhibited an overall faster release of paclitaxel due to increased effective diffusivity. Hyperthermia studies have demonstrated that these hydrogel nanocomposites can be remotely heated, causing an increase in cytotoxicity for M059K glioblastoma cells. Current studies are focusing on the cytotoxicity effect of combined hyperthermia and paclitaxel release.