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Gas foamed open porous biodegradable polymeric microspheres
Taek Kyoung Kim1, Jun Jin Yoon, Doo Sung Lee
1Department of Biological Sciences, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon 305-701, South Korea.
Biomaterials
|July 19, 2005
Summary
Researchers developed injectable, porous, biodegradable polymeric microspheres for cell delivery. Using a double emulsion method with effervescent salt, they created interconnected pores, enabling cell infiltration and delivery to tissue sites.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Tissue Engineering
- Polymer Chemistry
Background:
- Biodegradable polymeric microspheres are crucial for cell delivery and tissue regeneration.
- Developing injectable scaffolds that support cell infiltration and viability remains a challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate highly open porous biodegradable polymeric microspheres for use as injectable scaffold microcarriers.
- To investigate the effect of effervescent salt concentration on pore formation and microsphere characteristics.
Main Methods:
- A modified water-in-oil-in-water (W1/O/W2) double emulsion solvent evaporation method was employed.
- Ammonium bicarbonate was incorporated as an effervescent salt to create gas bubbles during solvent evaporation.
- Microsphere porosity and pore size were characterized under various gas foaming conditions.
Main Results:
- The method successfully produced highly open porous biodegradable polymeric microspheres.
- Increasing ammonium bicarbonate concentration led to larger surface pores (up to 20 microm), facilitating cell infiltration.
- The porous microspheres demonstrated potential for cell seeding and delivery.
Conclusions:
- The developed porous microspheres serve as effective injectable scaffold microcarriers for cell delivery.
- The gas foaming technique offers a controllable method for creating interconnected pores in biodegradable microspheres.
- These microspheres hold promise for applications in regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.