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

Authors : Hatice Gumushan Aktas

Pages : 103-111

Doi:10.31594/commagene.1667137

View : 24 | Download : 57

Publication Date : 2025-06-30

Article Type : Research Paper

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

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