Effect of chitosan on the release of protein from thermosensitive poly(organophosphazene) hydrogels.

Poly(organophosphazenes) have been suggested as a potential thermosensitive hydrogel for use in the development of an injectable gel-depot system. Under biological conditions, hydrophilic model protein drugs, including bovine serum albumin (BSA), gelatin type B (MW 20,000) (GB20), and fluorescein isothiocyanate albumin (FITC-albumin) loaded in the hydrogels were released for 1-2 weeks, showing an initial burst release. However, this initial burst release could be suppressed when the proteins were couched in a complex with chitosan, and under these conditions evidenced a prolonged release period.

Thermosensitive poly(organophosphazene) hydrogels for a controlled drug delivery.

Thermosensitive poly(organophosphazenes) were synthesized for a controlled release of hydrophilic polymeric model drugs such as dextran and albumin in this study. The solutions of the present polymers bearing both hydrophobic side groups of L-isoleucine ethyl ester (IleOEt) and hydrophilic groups of alpha-amino-omega-methoxy-PEG (Mw 550) (AMPEG550) exhibited reversible sol-gel transition behaviors with changes of temperature. Viscometric measurement indicated that the thermosensitive hydrogels with good strength could be formed from the solutions in the range of the concentrations of 7-15 wt% around body temperature.