Abstract
In recent years, numerous polymers have been investigated for their potential in drug delivery applications. Among these, Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), has been extensively researched for this purpose due to its approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration and its notable biocompatibility. Despite its inherent limitations in achieving a high precision for controlled, targeted drug release, the incorporation of Indocyanine Green (ICG), a commonly utilized medical dye, presents a potential for the light-mediated delivery of drugs within superficial skin tissues. The literature suggests that materials such as ICG can be modulated using near-infrared (NIR) light, offering a mechanism to regulate drug released from microparticles (MPs). Furthermore, the integration of the RGD (Arginine-Glycine-Aspartate) peptide sequence has shown an ability to specifically adhere to the integrin adhesion molecules expressed on the surface of tumor cells. This project aims to investigate the controlled drug delivery capabilities of a PLGA-ICG-RGD MP system for the treatment of Metastatic Melanoma (MM) in A375 cultures as well as the zebrafish model (NRASQ⁶¹ᴿ) utilizing the chemotherapy drugs Dacarbazine (DTIC) and Carboplatin (CBPT).