Mulitphase Drug Release Through a Loaded Biodegradable

Poly(β-amino) ester (PBAE) biodegradable hydrogels have proven useful in the field of biomedicine, specifically in use in drug delivery. In this study, PBAE hydrogels have tunable properties, including degradation profiles, caused by the alteration of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic components of the hydrogel. Further, it is possible to incorporate acrylate or amine containing drugs into the backbone of the PBAE hydrogels using a single-step polymerization process. These covalently attached drugs are then released from the hydrogel through degradation, and therefore, their release time controlled by the degradation rate of the drug. The specific drugs selected for use in this study, vancomycin and quercetin, were chosen as a pair for the purpose of the more comprehensive study of the effects of the combination of an antimicrobial and an antioxidant on the reduction of resistance emergence in strains of bacteria. The goal of this project was to create a system that would allow extended, time-controlled release of the two drugs to both kill bacteria and simultaneously reduce levels of hydrogen peroxide, a bacterial quorum sensing molecule which can also produce genetic variation through oxidative stress. This system will be expandable for use with other drug combinations for various treatment needs.