Multiplexing interactions to control antibiotic release from cyclodextrin hydrogels.

A new strategy for affinity-based drug delivery by modification of the drug rather than modification of the device is presented. Rifampin is modified to contain either one or two PEG-adamantane arms, and the drug release properties of dimeric coumermycin are compared to novobiocin with only one biding domain. The drugs are loaded into affinity-based and diffusion-only delivery platforms, the loading efficiency is calculated, and the release kinetics is determined in vitro. The presence of additional binding domains prolongs the release of antibiotics. Release rates differ little between modified and unmodified drug from the diffusion-only system. The results demonstrate the feasibility of custom-tuning drug delivery by multiplexing interactions with an affinity-based polymer platform.