Controlled slow release of chemotherapeutic drugs for cancer from matrices prepared by radiation polymerization at low temperatures

Abstract

An effective method for controlling the release of drugs is entrapping them in a polymeric carrier. This research employs the application of radiation polymerization of glass‐forming monomers at low temperatures for the preparation of polymer composite materials comprising such biofunctional bodies and substances as enzymes, microbial cells, organellas, and drugs. The glass‐forming monomers are very advantageous for entrapping these biofunctional components because they are formed easily in an extremely viscous supercooled state at low temperatures, efficiently disperse a biofunctional component, and polymerize at a high rate in this state. Therefore, they can catch and trap the biofunctional components very firmly. This entrapping method can be used not only for the immobilization of enzymes but also for the controlled slow release of drugs. Among these drugs, the antibiotics may be the most important ones to be employed. The process makes it possible to give the antibiotics a durable effect and prevents harmful side reactions. In this report, the radiation polymerization method is applied to the controlled release of antibiotics by the preparation of polymer composites which include antibiotics.