Nanotechnology-based drug delivery system for lidocaine could also aid cancer therapies
Nanotechnology-based drug delivery system for lidocaine could also aid cancer therapies lead image
Lidocaine, a common topical anesthetic used for medical procedures, has some significant limitations: it only lasts a few hours and can be toxic in high does. To improve these shortcomings, Mo et al. developed a nanotechnology-based drug delivery system to enhance the anesthetic’s stability and delivery, while also reducing toxicity.
“Our approach aimed to optimize lidocaine use in anesthesia and potentially expand its applications in pain management and other medical treatments,” said author Hui Zhang.
The authors created a Methyl-PEG2000-DSPE-PVP-LDC nanomaterial and explored its morphology, surface charge, and chemical interactions with a suite of microscopy and spectroscopy techniques. After studying its drug-loading capacity, cytotoxicity, and impact on cell migration, their findings showed that the negatively-charged nanoparticles had an optimal size of 10 nanometers and high drug-loading efficiency. The results also suggest the nanomaterial could have a wide range of applications beyond lidocaine. For example, its inhibitory effect on cell proliferation among other characteristics suggests the nanomaterial could be useful for cancer treatment.
“The most exciting aspect of our results is that this nanomaterial effectively encapsulates lidocaine, enabling prolonged and sustained release. It also exhibits significant inhibitory effects on cell migration and proliferation while also promoting apoptosis,” Hui Zhang said. “This suggests that beyond its role as an anesthetic drug carrier, it may have broader therapeutic applications in oncology, chronic wound healing, and inflammatory skin diseases.”
The authors hope the nanomaterial can be used to improve lidocaine safety and efficacy in clinical practice. They intend to continue working with the nanoparticle to assess its biodegradability, drug release profile, tissue distribution and more to speed its transition to clinical and therapeutic applications.
Source: “Preparation and evaluation of a methyl-PEG2000-DSPE-PVP-LDC nanomaterial: A novel lidocaine delivery system,” by Wan-Yi Mo, Jing-Ran Kong, Hang Dai, De-Cheng Liu, Yi-Min Wang, Tuck Yun Cheang, Hui Yao, Hui Zhang, AIP Advances (2025). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0250331 .
