The pH-controlled dual-drug release from mesoporous bioactive glass/polypeptide graft copolymer nanomicelle composites

Dual-drug delivery systems are investigated for combined therapy with drugs having distinct therapeutic effects. However, the majority of current dual-drug delivery systems are designed for simultaneous release of two different drugs; the release of each individual drug cannot be controlled. In this study, we have demonstrated a novel dual-drug delivery system based on mesoporous bioactive glass/polypeptide graft copolymer nanomicelle composites. Water-soluble gentamicin and fat-soluble naproxen were used as model drugs in the study of this system. A pH-controlled release of individual drugs was achieved by the predominant release of gentamicin from mesoporous bioactive glass in an acid environment and fast release of naproxen in an alkaline environment from polypeptide nanomicelles. Our results suggest that the mesoporous bioactive glass/PBLG-g-PEG nanomicelle composites can be used as a dual-drug delivery system, and that the individual drug release can be controlled by the pH of the surrounding environment.