In Situ Cross-Linked PNIPAM/Gelatin Nanofibers for Thermo-Responsive Drug Release

A simple one-step approach to generate in situ cross-linked PNIPAM/gelatin nanofibers has been developed when gelatin and PNIPAM-NHS were electrospun in the presence of the crosslinking agents 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethyl-aminopropyl)-1-carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS). The fibers exhibit the thermo-responsive swelling/deswelling function, monitored under atomic force microscopy (AFM). When an anti-cancer drug doxorubincin (DOX) was loaded, the fibers were able to release DOX evidently on demand of a temperature raise and the released DOX could effectively lower the viability of human cervical cancer Hela cells.