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Nanoparticles are finding increased uses in drug delivery applications as a means to increase treatment efficacy and improve patient care. Here, we report engineered polymeric nanoparticles that undergo a hydrophobic to hydrophilic transition at pH 5 to afford swelling and rapid release of their contents. As our clinical interest lies in the prevention of lung tumor recurrence following resection, the nanoparticles were evaluated in a model mimicking microscopic disease, akin to residual occult tumor that can remain at the resection margin following surgery. Expansile nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel, a poorly water-soluble anticancer drug, prevent establishment of lung cancer in vivo and are superior to the conventional drug delivery method for paclitaxel using Cremophor EL/ethanol.

Superhydrophobic surfaces are actively studied across a wide range of applications and industries, and are now finding increased use in the biomedical arena as substrates to control protein adsorption, cellular interaction, and bacterial growth, as well as platforms for drug delivery devices and for diagnostic tools. The commonality in the design of these materials is to create a stable or metastable air state at the material surface, which lends itself to a number of unique properties. These activities are catalyzing the development of new materials, applications, and fabrication techniques, as well as collaborations across material science, chemistry, engineering, and medicine given the interdisciplinary nature of this work. The review begins with a discussion of superhydrophobicity, and then explores biomedical applications that are utilizing superhydrophobicity in depth including material selection characteristics, in vitro performance, and in vivo performance. General trends are offered for each application in addition to discussion of conflicting data in the literature, and the review concludes with the authors’ future perspectives on the utility of superhydrophobic surfaces for biomedical applications.

Complications after extrapleural pneumonectomy require a unique approach to management, and mortality can be minimized by early detection and aggressive treatment.

We have prepared 3D superhydrophobic materials from biocompatible building blocks, where air acts as a barrier component in a porous electrospun mesh to control the rate at which drug is released. Specifically, we fabricated poly(ε-caprolactone) electrospun meshes containing poly(glycerol monostearate-co-ε-caprolactone) as a hydrophobic polymer dopant, which results in high apparent contact angle meshes. We demonstrate that the apparent contact angle of these meshes dictates the rate at which water penetrates into the porous network and displaces entrapped air. Addition of a model bioactive agent (SN-38) shows a release rate with a striking dependence on apparent contact angle which can be explained by this displacement of air within the electrospun meshes. We further show that porous, higher surface area electrospun meshes can be prepared to release more slowly than control non-porous constructs. Finally, the entrapped air layer within superhydrophobic meshes is shown to be robust in the presence of serum, where drug loaded meshes are efficacious against cancer cells in vitro for >60 days, thus demonstrating applicability for long-term drug delivery.

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Locoregional recurrence negatively impacts both long-term survival and quality of life for a number of malignancies. For appropriate-risk patients with an isolated, resectable local recurrence, surgery represents the only potentially curative therapy. However, oncologic outcomes remain inferior for patients with locally recurrent disease even after macroscopically complete resection. Unfortunately, these operations are often extensive with significant perioperative morbidity and mortality. This review highlights selected malignancies (mesothelioma, sarcoma, lung cancer, breast cancer, rectal cancer, peritoneal surface malignancies) in which surgical resection is a key treatment modality and where local recurrence plays a significant role in overall oncologic outcome with regards to survival and quality of life. For each type of cancer, the current, state-of-the-art treatment strategies and their outcomes are assessed. The need for additional therapeutic options is presented given the limitations of the current standard therapies. New and emerging treatment modalities, including polymer films and nanoparticles, are highlighted as potential future solutions for both prevention and treatment of locally recurrent cancers. Finally, we identify additional clinical and research opportunities, and propose future research strategies based on the varying patterns of local recurrence among the different cancers.