Bio‐Inspired Biopolymeric Implantable Platform for Localized and Sustained Drug Delivery in Solid Tumor Treatment

ABSTRACT

The development of biocompatible and biodegradable drug delivery systems remains a major challenge in cancer therapy, particularly for the localized and sustained release of poorly soluble, unstable, and highly toxic compounds. 7‐Ethyl‐10‐hydroxycamptothecin (SN‐38), the active metabolite of irinotecan, offers superior anticancer efficacy but suffers from the aforementioned drawbacks, limiting its clinical use. The use of its prodrug, irinotecan, improves its solubility and stability and is the treatment of choice for many types of malignancies, though its systemic administration in cancer patients leads to significant side effects due to off‐target exposure. Here, a bio‐inspired, implantable biopolymeric platform based on crosslinked chitosan for localized and sustained SN‐38 delivery is presented. Engineered using 3D printed molds into a gyroid architecture, the implants provide sustained SN‐38 release over 90 days in vitro with partial biodegradation in vitro. In vivo studies using HCT116 human colorectal cancer xenografts demonstrate significant tumor growth inhibition without evidence of systemic toxicity by under the conditions tested. This platform showcases a functional materials approach to overcome key limitations in conventional drug delivery technologies and supports the feasibility of localized chemotherapy delivery to solid tumors.