Drug delivery system and method

Abstract

A system for delivering a therapeutic dose of a drug is disclosed. The system includes a delivery medium with therapeutic units attached thereto. The delivery medium is preferably a polymeric hydrogel matrix that has therapeutic units incorporated therein or metal nanoparticles with therapeutic units complexed thereto. The therapeutic units include nucleic acid moieties. The nucleic acid moieties preferably include strands of nucleic acid and drug moieties complexed with the strands of nucleic acid. Where the system includes a polymeric hydrogel matrix, an active drug is controllably released from the polymer hydrogel matrix to provide a therapeutic dose to a biological system or biological tissue. The active drug is controllably released from the hydrogel matrix by altering the environment the hydrogel matrix, or by enzymatic cleavage of the nucleic acid moieties or by a combination thereof.

1 . A method for making a drug delivery system, the method comprising:
 a) providing backbone monomers, cross-linking monomers and nucleic acid moieties; and   b) initiating copolymerization of the backbone monomer and cross-linking monomer to thereby form a polymeric hydrogel with therapeutic units incorporated therein, wherein the therapeutic units include strands of the nucleic acid moieties.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising forming a therapeutic dose from the polymeric hydrogel. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein forming a polymeric hydrogel comprises forming a solution comprising an amount of the strands of nucleic acid, the backbone monomer cross-linking monomer and initiating copolymerization of the backbone monomer and cross-linking monomer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the nucleic acid moieties include a drug. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, an antihistamine, an antiviral agent, a cancer drug, an anesthetic, a cycloplegic, a mydriatics, a lubricant agent, a hydrophilic agent, a decongestant, a vasoconstrictor, a vasodilater, an Immuno-suppressant, an immuno-modulating agent and an anti-glaucoma agent. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the therapeutic dose is in a form of a pill or a patch. 
     
     
         7 . A method of dispensing a therapeutic dose comprising:
 a) administering a polymeric hydrogel with therapeutic units incorporated therein, wherein the therapeutic units include strands of nucleic acid; and   b) initiating a controlled release of portions of the therapeutic units.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein initiating the controlled release of the portions of the therapeutic units comprises one or more of heating the polymeric hydrogel, altering a pH polymeric hydrogel, altering an ionic strength of the polymeric hydrogel, exposing the polymeric hydrogel to an electric field and exposing the hydrogel to light. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein initiating the controlled release of the portions of the therapeutic units comprises treating the polymeric hydrogel with an enzyme. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the polymeric hydrogel is placed in contact with a target tissue. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the polymeric hydrogel is placed in contact with the target tissue by injecting the polymeric hydrogel into the target tissue. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein initiating the controlled release of the portions of the therapeutic units comprises treating the polymeric hydrogel with an enzyme. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the therapeutic units comprise one or more active drugs. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the one or more active drugs are selected from the group consisting of an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, an antihistamine, an antiviral agent, a cancer drug, an anesthetic, a cycloplegic, a mydriatics, a vasodilater, a lubricant agent, a hydrophilic agent, a decongestant, a vasoconstrictor, an immuno-suppressant, an immuno-modulating agent and an anti-glaucoma agent. 
     
     
         15 . A system for delivering a therapeutic dose of an active drug, the system comprising a polymeric hydrogel with therapeutic units incorporated therein, wherein the therapeutic units include strands of the nucleic acid. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein therapeutic units include a drug moiety complex with the strands of nucleic acid. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the drug is selected from the group consisting of an antibiotic, an anti-inflammatory, an antihistamine, an antiviral agent, a cancer drug, an anesthetic, a cycloplegic, a mydriatics, a lubricant agent, a hydrophilic agent, a decongestant, a vasoconstrictor, a vasodilater, an Immuno-suppressant, an immuno-modulating agent and an anti-glaucoma agent. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the polymeric hydrogel is in a pill or a patch form. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the therapeutic dose of a drug is controllably released from the polymeric hydrogel by enzymatic cleavage of the strands of the nucleic acid moieties. 
     
     
         20 . A system for delivering a therapeutic dose of an active drug, the system comprising a delivery medium with therapeutic units incorporated therein, wherein the therapeutic units include strands of the nucleic acid. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the delivery medium includes one or more of a gel matrix, metal particles, a polymer film, a polymer network, metal surface, polymer particles, particulate gels, particulate networks, a polymeric dendrimer and a surface conjugated with complexes. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the delivery medium comprises metal nanoparticles with therapeutic nucleic acid strands and receptor moieties coupled thereto. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein the metal nanoparticles are silver or gold nanoparticles.