Chemotherapeutic Drug Delivery from 3D-Printed Biodegradable Polymer for Breast Cancer Treatment

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 1, 103 - 111, 30.06.2025

Hatice Gumushan Aktas

https://doi.org/10.31594/commagene.1667137

Abstract

The controlled delivery of chemotherapeutic agents is critical for enhancing therapeutic efficiency and minimizing side effects in cancer treatment. This study investigates the drug release, thermal stability, and mechanical performance of polylactic acid (PLA) resin doped with boric acid (H₃BO₃) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), fabricated through digital light processing (DLP) 3D printing technology. Samples with various concentrations of 5-FU (0-30 wt.%) and 1 wt.% boric acid were prepared and characterized structurally, mechanically, thermally, and biologically. Incorporation of 1% H₃BO₃ improved compressive strength significantly by approximately 13%, reaching 55.04 MPa compared to 48.86 MPa in pure PLA, and enhanced elongation at break from 5.75% to 7.24%. Thermally, boric acid slightly increased the glass transition temperature from 58°C to 61°C and melting temperature from 179°C to 184°C, indicating improved polymer stability. Swelling behavior peaked around day 9 with up to 50% water uptake for some formulations. Moreover, drug release profiles exhibited sustained release over 15 days, reaching a maximum release amount of 4.24% on day 9 at low drug loadings. Cytotoxicity tests against MCF-7 breast cancer cells demonstrated significant reductions in viability, notably achieving 33.39% after 15 days at the highest 5-FU concentration (30%). These findings suggest that boric acid and 5-FU-doped PLA composites produced via 3D printing offer promising mechanical and controlled-release drug delivery characteristics suitable for developing advanced biomedical applications, particularly in targeted cancer therapy.

Keywords

Controlled drug release , Cancer , 5-Fluorouracil , Boric acid , Polylactic acid (PLA)

Ethical Statement

There are no human or animal subjects in this article

Supporting Institution

No financial support was used for this article.

Meme Kanseri Tedavisi için 3D Baskılı Biyobozunur Polimerden Kemoterapötik İlaç Salınımı

Abstract

Kemoterapötik ajanların kontrollü dağıtımı, kanser tedavisinde terapötik etkinliği artırmak ve yan etkileri en aza indirmek için kritik öneme sahiptir. Bu çalışma, dijital ışık işleme (DLP) 3D baskı teknolojisiyle üretilen borik asit (H₃BO₃) ve 5-florourasil (5-FU) ile katkılanmış polilaktik asit (PLA) reçinesinin ilaç salımını, termal kararlılığını ve mekanik performansını araştırmaktadır. Çeşitli 5-FU (%0-%30 ağırlıkça) ve %1 ağırlıkça borik asit konsantrasyonlarına sahip numuneler hazırlandı ve yapısal, mekanik, termal ve biyolojik olarak karakterize edildi. %1 H₃BO₃ eklenmesi, basınç dayanımını yaklaşık %13 oranında önemli ölçüde iyileştirerek saf PLA'daki 48,86 MPa'ya kıyasla 55,04 MPa'ya ulaştı ve kopma anındaki uzamayı %5,75'ten %7,24'e çıkardı. Termal olarak, borik asit cam geçiş sıcaklığını 58°C'den 61°C'ye ve erime sıcaklığını 179°C'den 184°C'ye hafifçe artırarak polimer kararlılığında iyileşme gösterdi. Şişme davranışı, bazı formülasyonlar için %50'ye kadar su alımıyla 9. gün civarında zirveye ulaştı. Aynı zamanda, ilaç salım profilleri 15 gün boyunca sürekli salım sergiledi ve düşük ilaç yüklemelerinde 9. günde %4,24'lük maksimum salım miktarına ulaştı. MCF-7 meme kanseri hücrelerine karşı sitotoksisite testleri önemli canlılık azalmaları gösterdi, özellikle en yüksek 5-FU konsantrasyonunda (%30) 15 gün sonra %33,39 canlılığa ulaşıldı. Bu bulgular, 3B baskı yoluyla üretilen borik asit ve 5-FU katkılı PLA kompozitlerinin, özellikle hedefli kanser tedavisinde ileri biyomedikal uygulamalar geliştirmek için uygun, umut verici mekanik ve kontrollü salımlı ilaç verme özellikleri sunduğunu göstermektedir.

Keywords

Kontrollü ilaç salınımı , Kanser , 5-Florourasil , Borik asit , Polilaktik asit (PLA)

Ethical Statement

Bu makalede insan veya hayvan denekleri kullanılmamıştır.

Supporting Institution

Bu makale için hiçbir maddi fon desteği kullanılmamıştır.

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