Targeted Drug Delivery System using Photovoltaic Devices

Advances in surgical techniques and scientific research, including the development of new cytotoxic drugs and hormonal therapies, have resulted in better treatment options for cancer patients. Despite such encouraging progress, systemic oral or intravenous administration can cause severe cytoxicity, which limits the therapeutic potential of anticancer drugs. Recent discovery using solar cells for targeted drug delivery will pave the way for the development and introduction of innovative targeted therapies with improved efficacy. A photovoltaic cell holds opposite charges on its surfaces, serve as a new drug delivery system to carry cancer chemotherapeutic drugs or substances and release them when the charge intensity or polarity changes upon external photo stimulation or laser source. In this new strategy using photovoltaic device, a hypothesis is proposed to serve as a new drug delivery method. Positively charged Poly-L-Lysine and negatively charged Bovine Serum Albumin are attached the negative side and positive side of a solar cell respectively. Experimental data reveals that the PV cells significantly can release the charged molecules upon external photo stimulation, which suggests the PV has potential to be used as a new drug delivery system to carry cancer chemotherapeutic drugs.