Source:
DRUG DEVELOPMENT AND INDUSTRIAL PHARMACY, Volume 34, Number 1, p.73-82 (2008)
Abstract:
In this study, the successful acrylic derivatization of dextran and
concanavalin A (con A) to form dextran methacrylate and con A
methacrylamide is shown. These derivatized acrylic monomers are then
photopolymerized in the presence of a water soluble photoinitiator
Irgacure(R) under various conditions to form covalently bonded
glucose-responsive gel materials, which undergo a transformation to sol
in the presence of free glucose. Rheological data have revealed that as
the degree of substitution for dextran methacrylate is increased, a
more elastic material is produced due to the increased covalent
linkages. Some of these gel systems show negligible component loss in
in vitro diffusion experiments used to simulate the behavior of the
cross-linked gel, as would be used in a self-regulated insulin delivery
device.
