Study finds ways to direct medications to particular body parts

A research carried out by scholars at the University of Gothenburg unveiled a technique that could revolutionize the delivery of drugs to particular regions of the body.
Until the temperature surpasses 32 degrees, microgels form a thin protective layer around a droplet. Following this, the microgels contract and the droplet dissolves in the surrounding liquid.
Emulsions consist of numerous droplets that exist in a liquid without dissolving or merging with it. For instance, milk comprises fat droplets stabilized by milk proteins and distributed in water.
Various applications, such as drug administration, necessitate not only the capability to maintain droplet structure but also to control the dissolution of the droplets. This is because the encapsulated active substances in the droplet should only be released after the drug has entered the body.
Scholars from various universities, including the University of Gothenburg, have formulated a concept known as responsive emulsions, which enables them to manage the dissolution of droplets.
“The concept is to stabilize emulsions using temperature-sensitive microgel particles that alter their shape according to the ambient temperature. At room temperature, they swell in water, but above 32°C, they contract,” elaborated Marcel Rey, a physicist at the University of Gothenburg and the primary author of the study published in Nature Communications.
When the temperature exceeds 32°C, the droplets dissolve in the surrounding liquid since they are no longer adequately stabilized by the protective microgel shell. While this phenomenon has been known in the scientific community for an extended period, researchers have now discovered that the core mechanism underlying stimuli-responsive emulsions involves morphological changes in the stabilizing microgels.
“The morphological alterations in the stabilizing microgels, triggered by external stimuli, play a critical role in influencing the stability of the associated emulsions. This comprehension is fundamental in developing microgels capable of stabilizing emulsions at room temperature while promoting dissolution at body temperature,” clarified Marcel Rey.
The stabilizing microgels can be viewed as both particles and polymers. The particle aspect contributes to a substantial stability of the emulsion, whereas the polymer aspect makes the microgels responsive to external influences, thus prompting the dissolution of the droplets. Achieving temperature-sensitive emulsions demands a delicate equilibrium, requiring minimal particle characteristics for stability and substantial polymer characteristics for swift and dependable dissolution of the droplets.
“Now that we comprehend the functioning of responsive emulsions, we can tailor them to specific requirements. While our present endeavors have been limited to laboratory experiments with temperature reliance, we are actively exploring the formulation of microgel-stabilized emulsions that respond to the pH of the surrounding fluid,” remarked Marcel Rey.
Pharmaceutical exploration concentrating on targeted medications is crucial. The objective is to administer medication in higher concentrations to precise diseased regions of the body without affecting the entire body.
“Responsive emulsions offer immense potential as a precise mechanism for dispensing medicine to specific areas in the body. Although further research is necessary, the future appears promising, and progress can be anticipated over the next decade,” stated Marcel Rey. (ANI)