Release of calcein from temperature-sensitive liposomes in a poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel

We prepared temperature-sensitive liposomes (TS-liposomes) modified with a thermosensitive polymer, such as poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm), to increase the degree of drug release from liposomes at the hyperthermic temperature. A PNIPAAm hydrogel containing TS-liposomes was also prepared to obtain a hydrogel complex at body temperature. In addition, a depot system for local drug delivery using the polymer hydrogel was developed to enhance therapeutic efficacy and prevent severe side effects in the whole body. The PNIPAAm-modified TS-liposome was fixed into the PNIPAAm hydrogel having a high temperature-sensitivity. The release behavior of calcein, a model drug, from TS-liposomes in the PNIPAAm hydrogel was then initiated by external hyperthermia; the results indicated that sustained release as a function of temperature and time was caused by the thermosensitivity of the liposome surface and diffusion of the drug into the PNIPAAm hydrogel. Our results indicated that TS-liposomes in a PNIPAAm hydrogel represented a plausible system for local drug delivery.