Dual drug release from core-shell nanoparticles with distinct release profiles

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Multiple drug combinations are vital in cancer chemotherapy and tissue engineering.
• Efficiently codelivering drugs with varying properties remains a challenge.
• Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems offer potential solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To fabricate core-shell nanoparticles capable of co-encapsulating hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.
• To investigate the influence of nanoparticle architecture and drug loading on release kinetics.
• To demonstrate the tunability of drug release for combination therapy applications.

Main Methods:

• Utilized coaxial electrospray to create polyvinylpyrrolidone/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(ε-caprolactone)/PLGA nanoparticles.
• Co-encapsulated hydrophilic rhodamine B and hydrophobic naproxen within a single step.
• Analyzed drug release patterns based on nanoparticle structure, polymer properties, and drug-drug interactions.

Main Results:

• Achieved over 85% encapsulation efficiency for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.
• Demonstrated distinct drug release profiles influenced by core-shell structure and drug location.
• Showcased that nanoparticle architecture, polymer characteristics, and molecular interactions affect drug release.

Conclusions:

• Coaxial electrospray enables the fabrication of nanoparticles with distinct core-shell structures for controlled dual-drug delivery.
• Tunable drug release kinetics can be achieved by manipulating nanoparticle design and drug loading.
• This approach holds promise for optimizing combination therapy by meeting specific clinical requirements.