Metal-Organic-Framework-Coated Optical Fibers as Light-Triggered Drug Delivery Vehicles

Physical delivery of anticancer drugs in controlled anatomic locations can complement the advances being made in chemo-selective therapies. To this end, an optical fiber catheter is coated in a thin layer of metal organic framework UiO-66 and the anticancer drug 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is deposited within the pores. Delivery of light of appropriate wavelength through the fiber catheter is found to trigger the release of 5-FU on demand, offering a new route to localized drug administration. The system exhibits great potential with as much as 110 x 10(-6) M of 5-FU delivered within 1 min from one fiber.