Novel, high throughput method to study in vitro protein release from polymer nanospheres

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Drug Delivery Systems
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Controlled therapeutic protein delivery via biodegradable polymers is crucial for effective treatment.
• Conventional protein release assays are time-consuming, costly, and require large sample amounts.
• Minimizing sample size is essential due to the limited supply and high cost of therapeutic proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a rapid, high-throughput method for quantifying protein release from polyanhydride carriers.
• To reduce the sample size required for studying protein delivery systems.
• To investigate factors influencing protein release kinetics from polyanhydride copolymers.

Main Methods:

• A sensitive fluorescence-based assay was employed to detect and quantify released Texas Red-conjugated bovine serum albumin.
• Protein release was studied from polyanhydride copolymers composed of sebacic acid (SA) and 1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane (CPH).
• The effects of polymer device geometry (nanospheres vs. films), polymer chemistry, and release medium pH were simultaneously assessed.

Main Results:

• Nanosphere geometry, SA-rich polymers, and neutral pH conditions resulted in faster protein release.
• Film geometry, CPH-rich polymers, and acidic pH conditions exhibited slower protein release.
• The developed method allowed for simultaneous assessment of multiple release parameters using minimal protein amounts (~40 µg).

Conclusions:

• The novel fluorescence-based assay provides a rapid and efficient method for studying protein release kinetics from biodegradable polymers.
• This high-throughput technique significantly reduces sample requirements, making it suitable for expensive therapeutic proteins.
• The method is adaptable for diverse protein and polymer systems, aiding in the design of advanced drug delivery devices.