Modern drug delivery methods, while essential for healthcare, often come at a cost, not only for humans but for theenvironment as well. Conventional drug administration (pills, injections) often leads to excess drugs circulating in thebody, contributing to waste and side effects, which creates a demand for additional treatments to counteract them.
In addition, many traditional drug carriers (e.g., patches, syringes) generate large amounts of non-biodegradable waste. Medical equipment used for drug releasing purposes such as a continuous drug infusion pump require power supply to operate, which limits its use in rural or low-resource settings, decreasing the efficiency of medical care in developing countries.
These challenges have driven research toward innovative solutions, such as magnetic electrospun nanofibers, which offer a promising approach for controlled, efficient, and sustainable drug delivery. A possible application of the EMF-technology is tumor thermotherapy (via a magnetic hyperthermia device).
My project at the University of Köln aims to explore the possibilities of using a polyacrylic acid (PAA)-based precursor solution for the production of biocompatible/biodegradable magnetic electrospun nanofibers. This specific application would prevent excess drugs circulating in the body, contributingto the decrease of waste and side effects. Respectively leading to less antibiotic overuse, slowing antibiotic resistance developmentand minimising excess pharmaceuticals in biological systems.