Innovative application: Breakthrough of bovine gelatin powder in 3D printing food and medical fields

In the medical field, how does gelatin help to sustain drug release?

In the medical field, gelatin helps to release drugs in a variety of ways, showing good application prospects and research value. The following is a detailed introduction:

Technical principle

Biocompatibility and biodegradability: Gelatin is a natural biomaterial with good biocompatibility and biodegradability. This means that it will not cause a serious immune response in the body, and can gradually decompose and release drugs within a certain period of time, thereby achieving a sustained release effect of the drug.

Physical and chemical properties: The gelatin molecular chain contains abundant hydrophilic groups, which can form hydrogen bonds with drug molecules to achieve drug encapsulation. In addition, gelatin can adjust its physicochemical properties, such as porosity, molecular weight, etc., through methods such as cross-linking, thereby controlling the release rate of the drug.

Stimulus responsiveness: Gelatin can be designed as a material that is sensitive to specific stimuli (such as pH, temperature, etc.). For example, in the tumor microenvironment, the pH value is usually low. Using this property, researchers have developed a pH-responsive gelatin-based drug carrier. When the carrier reaches the tumor site, the drug will be released quickly due to changes in pH, thereby increasing the concentration of the drug in the lesion site and enhancing the therapeutic effect.

Application Cases

Sustained release of anti-inflammatory drugs: To solve the problem of short plasma half-life and frequent administration of anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen sodium, researchers encapsulated them in gelatin nanoparticles. Studies have shown that this nanoformulation not only has no obvious side effects, but also prolongs the circulation time of the drug through polyethylene glycol surface modification, achieves sustained release for up to 96 hours, and significantly improves the pharmacokinetic properties of the drug.

Sustained release of gene therapy drugs: In the field of gene therapy, gelatin-based microspheres are used to carry drugs such as plasmid DNA or oligonucleotides. For example, NK4 plasmid DNA is loaded into gelatin microspheres and implanted into mice by subcutaneous injection, which can continuously release drugs within 28 days, prolong the expression time of the plasmid, and effectively inhibit tumor growth.

Sustained release of anticancer drugs: In the treatment of breast cancer, researchers have developed pH-responsive gelatin-coated gold nanoparticles for carrying methotrexate. The carrier has the highest drug release rate at pH 5.4 (the pH value of the tumor microenvironment), making it more suitable for use in the breast tumor environment, and the synergistic effect with the drug carrier improves the efficacy of the drug.

Research progress

Development of new carriers: Researchers are constantly exploring new forms of gelatin-based carriers, such as gelatin nanofibers, gelatin-based polymer-lipid hybrid nanoparticles, etc. These new carriers have better drug encapsulation capacity and sustained release performance, providing more possibilities for the development of drug sustained release technology.

Multifunctional carrier design: In addition to a single drug sustained release function, gelatin-based carriers can also be designed as composite carriers with multiple functions. For example, loading drugs and fluorescent markers together in gelatin nanoparticles can not only achieve sustained release of drugs, but also monitor the distribution and release of drugs in real time.

Clinical translational research: At present, gelatin-based drug sustained release systems have made significant progress in preclinical research and are gradually being transformed into clinical applications. For example, in the study of the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, gelatin-based microparticle systems have been shown to be more suitable for clinical applications than other systems, and can achieve precise control and delivery of cytokines such as interleukin-10.

Market Opportunities

With the continuous development of 3D printing technology and the increasing demand for personalized and customized products, the application prospects of bovine gelatin powder in the food and medical fields are broad. For investors and entrepreneurs, this is an emerging market full of potential. They can focus on the technical research and development, product innovation and market expansion of gelatin in the fields of 3D printed food and medicine, and find a suitable entry point. For example, investing in the development of new gelatin-based materials, establishing 3D printed food production lines, or cooperating with medical institutions to carry out bioprinting projects are likely to occupy a place in future market competition.

In short, the innovative application of bovine gelatin powder in the fields of 3D printed food and medicine not only brings new research directions for technology enthusiasts, but also provides investors and entrepreneurs with rich market opportunities. In the future, with the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous growth of market demand, the application of gelatin in these fields will become more extensive and in-depth.