Smart drug delivery systems are ones such as gels which change the drug release profile depending upon surrounding biological conditions and can thus be called ‘smart’.
Researchers of Shoolini University, Himachal Pradesh, are involved in independent and collaborative projects relating to cancer and have designed a pH-responsive ‘smart gel’ for colon cancer treatment. Dr. Poonam Negi, who is heading the research said, “There exist a plethora of anti-cancer drug delivery systems that have taken the advantage of the slight difference of pH existing between healthy tissues (pH~7.4) and that of solid tumors (pH 6-7). However, limitations exist with regard to their stability, consistency of release and other issues, which restrict their commercial application.”
Recognizing the fact that there is a difference in pH of normal cells and that of tumors, the researchers have designed a ‘smart gel’ which is pH-responsive and is designed for topical/oral and intramuscular or surgical insertion at the site. Dr. Negi explained, “It releases anti-cancer drug, as per tumor growth and associated pH change. Thus, the tumor gets a ‘sustained-release’ of the drug in case it grows, otherwise, the drug is not released, if there is no tumor growth and hence no pH change is there.”
