Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing of a bladder device for intravesical drug delivery
Intravesical instillation therapy is an alternative approach to oral medications for the treatment of severe bladder diseases, offering high drug concentrations at the site of action while minimising systemic side effects. However, therapeutic efficacy is often limited because of the short residence time of the drug in the bladder and the need for repeated installations.
Highlights
- • Stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing was used to fabricate novel indwelling bladder devices for intravesical drug delivery.
- • Two types of devices (hollow and solid) were prepared with Elastic Resin incorporating different loadings of lidocaine.
- • The fabricated devices showed acceptable blood compatibility, good resistance to compressive and stretching forces.
- • Sustained release of lidocaine was achieved within 4 days from the hollow devices and up to 14 days from the solid devices.
This study reports, for the first time, the use of stereolithography (SLA) 3D printing to manufacture novel indwelling bladder devices using an elastic polymer to achieve extended and localised delivery of lidocaine hydrochloride. The devices were designed to be inserted into and retrieved from the bladder using a urethral catheter. Two types of bladder devices (hollow and solid) were prepared with a resilient material (Elastic Resin) incorporating three drug loads of lidocaine hydrochloride (10% w/w, 30% w/w and 50% w/w); a drug frequently used to treat interstitial cystitis and bladder pain. All of the devices showed acceptable blood compatibility, good resistance to compressive and stretching forces and were able to recover their original shape immediately once external forces were removed. In vitro drug release studies showed that a complete release of lidocaine was achieved within 4 days from the hollow devices, whereas the solid devices enabled sustained drug release for up to 14 days. SLA 3D printing therefore provides a new manufacturing route to produce bladder-retentive drug delivery devices using elastic polymers, and offers a revolutionary and personalised approach for clinical intravesical drug delivery.
Author links open overlay panelXiaoyan Xu, Alvaro Goyanes, Sarah J. Trenfield, Luis Diaz-Gomez, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Simon Gaisford, Abdul W.Basit
Materials Science and Engineering: C
Volume 120, January 2021, 111773
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2020.111773