Control of Nanoparticle Release Kinetics from 3D Printed Hydrogel Scaffolds

Abstract

The convergence of biofabrication with nanotechnology is largely unexplored but enables geometrical control of cell-biomaterial arrangement combined with controlled drug delivery and release. As a step towards integration of these two fields of research, this study demonstrates that modulation of electrostatic nanoparticle-polymer and nanoparticle-nanoparticle interactions can be used for tuning nanoparticle release kinetics from 3D printed hydrogel scaffolds. This generic strategy can be used for spatiotemporal control of the release kinetics of nanoparticulate drug vectors in biofabricated constructs.

Keywords: biofabrication; charge interaction; controlled release; gold nanoparticles; mesoporous silica nanoparticles.