Controlled synergistic delivery of paclitaxel and heat from poly(β-amino ester)/iron oxide-based hydrogel nanocomposites.

Poly(β-amino ester) (PBAE) biodegradable hydrogels were investigated for potential combined chemotherapeutic and heat delivery in the synergistic treatment of cancer. Hyperthermia, the heating of cancerous tissue from 41 to 45 °C, increases the efficacy of conventional cancer therapies such as irradiation and chemotherapy. The hydrogel nanocomposites in this work provide a drug delivery vehicle (via the biodegradable PBAE polymer network) and the ability to be heated remotely upon exposure to an alternating magnetic field (via iron oxide nanoparticles incorporated into the hydrogel matrix).