An Examination of Composition-Property Relationships for Methotrexate-Loaded Glass Ionomer Cements

Abstract

The addition of chemotherapeutics to bone cements may prevent local cancer progression and failure of stabilization treatments used to manage cancer-related fractures. In the present study, the drug loading and delivery potential of a novel aluminum-free glass ionomer cement (GIC) was examined. Prior to drug loading, a Design of Experiments approach was implemented to optimize the cement formulation (powder-liquid ratio and acid concentration) for injectable applications. The optimized cement was loaded at 1, 5, and 10 wt% with anticancer agent, methotrexate (MTX), to develop composition-property relationships correlating drug loading with handling properties, MTX release, ion release, strength, and cytotoxic effect. MTX addition imparted minimal effects to cement handling and strength, and drug release appeared to be diffusion-mediated, maintaining drug activity over time. The results presented herein show this GIC is a promising material for drug delivery applications and may present a potentially effective therapy for cancer-related fractures.