In situ evaluation of spatiotemporal distribution of doxorubicin from Drug-eluting Beads in a tissue mimicking phantom

Understanding the intra-tumoral distribution of chemotherapeutic drugs is extremely important in predicting therapeutic outcome. Tissue mimicking gel phantoms are useful for studying drug vitro but quantifying laborious due to need section over relevant time course and individually quantify elution. In this study we compare a bespoke version traditional phantom sectioning approach, with novel confocal microscopy technique that enables dynamic situ measurements concentration. Release doxorubicin from Drug-eluting Embolization Beads (DEBs) was measured composed alginate agarose comparable intervals. Drug release several different types bead were measured. The non-radiopaque DC Bead™ generated higher concentration at boundary between beads larger penetration distance within period, compared radiopaque Bead LUMI™. This likely difference compositional structural characteristics hydrogel interacting differently loaded drug. Comparison results against historical vivo data show good agreement terms penetration, when confounding factors such as geometry, elimination chemistry accounted for. Hence these methods have demonstrated potential both validation, provide opportunities optimisation design embolization protocols through vitro-in comparison.