Associate Professor, Netaji Subhas Medical College and Hospital, Bihta, Patna. Email: dr.swarnimasingh@gmail.com
Background: Conventional anticancer chemotherapy is often limited by poor tumor selectivity, systemic toxicity, and suboptimal drug bioavailability. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, particularly pH-responsive nanocarriers, have emerged as promising approaches to enhance targeted drug delivery by exploiting the acidic tumor microenvironment.
Objectives: The present study was undertaken to design and evaluate pH-responsive biopolymer nanocarriers for targeted delivery of anticancer agents, with the aim of achieving stable drug encapsulation under physiological conditions and enhanced drug release in acidic tumor-like environments.
Materials and Methods: This experimental laboratory-based study included a total of 60 pH-responsive biopolymer nanocarrier samples. The nanocarriers were prepared using a standardized formulation technique and evaluated for physicochemical characteristics, including particle size, polydispersity index (PDI), zeta potential, drug loading capacity, and encapsulation efficiency. In vitro pH-dependent drug release studies were conducted at physiological pH (7.4) and acidic pH conditions (6.5 and 5.5). Statistical analysis was performed using appropriate tests, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The formulated nanocarriers demonstrated a mean particle size of 182.6 ± 21.4 nm with narrow size distribution (PDI: 0.24 ± 0.05) and adequate colloidal stability (zeta potential: −21.8 ± 3.6 mV). Drug loading capacity and encapsulation efficiency were 8.6 ± 1.3% and 78.4 ± 6.9%, respectively. In vitro release studies revealed significantly enhanced drug release under acidic conditions, with cumulative release of 71.6 ± 7.8% at pH 5.5 compared to 28.7 ± 4.5% at pH 7.4 (p < 0.001).
Conclusion: The developed pH-responsive biopolymer nanocarriers exhibited favourable physicochemical properties and effective pH-triggered drug release, highlighting their potential as a promising platform for targeted anticancer drug delivery. Further in vitro and in vivo studies are warranted to confirm their therapeutic efficacy and clinical applicability.
Keywords: pH-responsive nanocarriers, biopolymer, targeted drug delivery, anticancer agents, tumor microenvironment
How to cite this article: Singh S. Design of pH-Responsive Biopolymer Nanocarriers for Targeted Delivery of Anticancer Agents. Int J Drug Deliv Technol. 2026;16(10s): 774-779; DOI: 10.25258/ijddt.16.10s.91
Source of support: Nil.
Conflict of interest: None