Multifunctional polyelectrolyte multilayer films: combining mechanical resistance, biodegradability, and bioactivity.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Cross-linked polyelectrolyte multilayer (CL PEM) films exhibit improved mechanical properties and rigidity compared to uncrosslinked films.
• Despite enhanced mechanical resistance, CL PEM films retain biodegradability, making them suitable for biomedical applications.
• The study explores the potential of CL PEM films as multifunctional materials combining mechanical strength, biodegradability, and bioactivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the drug loading capacity and release kinetics of CL PEM films.
• To evaluate the bioactivity of drugs loaded within CL PEM films.
• To explore the influence of film architecture (layer number) and cross-linker concentration on drug loading and release.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CL PEM films using chitosan/hyaluronan (CHI/HA) and poly(L-lysine)/hyaluronan (PLL/HA) bilayers.
• Drug loading via simple diffusion of model drugs: sodium diclofenac and paclitaxel.
• Characterization of drug loading, release profiles, and assessment of paclitaxel's bioactivity through cellular viability assays.

Main Results:

• Successful loading of sodium diclofenac and paclitaxel into CL CHI/HA and PLL/HA films.
• Diclofenac release observed within approximately 10 hours.
• Paclitaxel retained its bioactivity post-loading, reducing cellular viability by ~55% over 3 days.
• Demonstrated influence of layer number and cross-linker concentration on diclofenac loading.

Conclusions:

• CL PEM films can be designed as multifunctional materials integrating mechanical resistance, biodegradability, and bioactivity.
• Simple drug diffusion is an effective method for loading various drugs into CL PEM architectures.
• This approach holds promise for developing advanced drug delivery systems and other biomedical devices.