Layered double hydroxide based nanohybrids for diagnosis and therapy

Abstract

In this dissertation, among various biomedical engineering fields, I have studied not only the accurate diagnosis but also appropriate therapy of diseases with layered double hydroxide (LDH) based nanohybrids to advance health care treatment (e. g. diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy). Moreover, the nanohybrids can give body to theranostic system, which could develop more specific, personalized treatments for various diseases, and integrate diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities into a single agent. This dissertation is focused on the design, fabrication and evaluation of layered double hydroxide (LDH) based nanohybrids for diagnosis and therapy. LDHs as drug delivery carriers have attracted a great deal of attentions due to their interesting properties to release of drugs in a controlled/sustained manner, to facilitate cellular interaction, and to enhance cellular uptake, which eventually leads to a high efficacy of drugs. In chapter 2, a novel gel formulation of the drug encapsulated LDH nanohybrid have a potential for transdermal controlled drug delivery system (DDS). In chapter 3, the drug loaded LDH nanohybrid could be considered as a promising DDS for improving intracellular drug efficacy, which results in higher therapeutic efficacy. In Chapter 4, I propose a bioabsorbable bone plate enabled with diagnostic X-ray visibility. LDHs can work as radiopaque materials thanks to their chemical compositions containing di- and trivalent metals with higher X-ray attenuation coefficients, such as magnesium (0.1686 cm2/g), aluminum (0.1704 cm2/g), and zinc (0.4973 cm2/g). The radiopaque fixation plate, in which radiopaque sheets made of a fine powder of layered metal hydroxides (LMHs) as radiopaque agents and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) as a biodegradable binder material, is attached onto a bioabsorbable bone plate approved for clinical use, is a promising fixation device enabled with X-ray visibility, biodegradability, and biocompatibility. In chapter 5, with those diagnostic and therapeutic functionalities, I finally develop a theranostic bone plate in combination with the theranostic drug intercalated LDH nanohybrid. which can be a promising system enabled with dual functionalities of both diagnostic X-ray visibility and therapeutic expedited bone repair.