Preparation and characterization of a self-degradable prodrug thermogel for controlled drug delivery
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Recently, injectable thermogels have garnered significant attention as efficient drug delivery systems. However, issues such as uncontrolled and initial burst drug release have limited their applicability to controlled drug delivery. To address these limitations, this study introduces a new prodrug thermogel, dexamethasone-conjugated hexanoyl glycol chitosan (HGC-DEX), which is synthesized through chemically conjugating dexamethasone (DEX) with hexanoyl glycol chitosan (HGC). The physicochemical properties of the prodrug thermogel were characterized in terms of sol-gel transition temperature, injectability, biodegradability, and in vitro drug release characteristics. Notably, the prodrug thermogel effectively mitigated initial burst release and demonstrated sustained release via its self-degradation property. The study highlights the potential of the prodrug thermogels to enhance controlled drug release, offering a promising future for advanced drug delivery applications.