Tailored piezoelectric chitosan thin film for ultrasound-controlled drug delivery

Abstract Although oral drug delivery represents the most employed route because of its ease, its efficacy is limited by low drug bioavailability due to gastric passage and possible systemic toxicity. Hence, it is crucial to develop stimuli-responsive materials that precisely control the position and time of the delivery of drugs for targeted administration and reduced side effects. To this aim, we developed an ultrasound-sensitive thin, biocompatible and sustainable piezoelectric chitosan film, which can be wirelessly activated by ultrasound, opening the possibility of controlled release in deep body compartments. We developed a protocol to easily tailor the properties of the film by embedding different molecules without compromising its piezoelectric behavior and to release, in a controlled on/off manner, more than 80% of the drug in less than 3 hours. The material´s potential was demonstrated with Doxorubicin, an antineoplastic agent against colon cancer, paving the way for enhanced and on-demand intestinal drug release.