Development of a Drug-Loaded Shape-Memory Polymer Urethral Stent (SMPUS) for Treatment of Prostatic Urethral Obstruction (PUO)

Prostatic urethral obstruction (PUO) is the urethral narrowing by the external pressure of an enlarged prostate, which hinders the ability to pass urine normally. The most common reasons for an enlarged prostate are prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia. In this study, we aimed to develop a drug-loaded shape-memory polymer urethral stent (SMPUS) to address PUO. The SMPUS was designed to combine both mechanical and chemical/herbal treatment of PUO. Successfully, SMPUS shows potential mechanical efficacy through its shape-memory properties that ensure the patency of the urethral lumen by restoring its tube-like stent shape upon flushing with hot water at its melting temperature. Additionally, the in vitro drug release investigation shows the capability of SMPUS to serve as a versatile drug delivery platform, after further in vivo investigation, enabling the release of the selected drugs to treat the primary diseases associated with PUO while mitigating the systemic side effects associated with conventional treatments. Both polymer and drug concentrations can be modulated to achieve the required mechanical and thermal properties based on the case progress. This adaptability of the developed SMPUS allows for future in vivo and clinical trials in medical applications.