X-ray imageable, drug-loaded hydrogel that forms at body temperature for image-guided, needle-based locoregional drug delivery

Liver cancer ranks as the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death globally. Direct intratumoral injections of anti-cancer therapeutics may improve therapeutic efficacy and mitigate adverse effects compared to intravenous injections. Some challenges of intratumoral injections are that the liquid drug formulation may not remain localized and have unpredictable volumetric distribution. Thus, drug delivery varies widely, highly-dependent upon technique. An X-ray imageable poloxamer 407 (POL)-based drug delivery gel was developed and characterized, enabling real-time feedback. Utilizing three needle devices, POL or a control iodinated contrast solution were injected into an ex vivo bovine liver. The 3D distribution was assessed with cone beam computed tomography (CBCT). The 3D distribution of POL gels demonstrated localized spherical morphologies regardless of the injection rate. In addition, the gel 3D conformal distribution could be intentionally altered, depending on the injection technique. When doxorubicin (DOX) was loaded into the POL and injected, DOX distribution on optical imaging matched iodine distribution on CBCT suggesting spatial alignment of DOX and iodine localization in tissue. The controllability and localized deposition of this formulation may ultimately reduce the dependence on operator technique, reduce systemic side effects, and facilitate reproducibility across treatments, through more predictable standardized delivery.