Laden Nanofiber Capsules for Local Malignancy Chemotherapy.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Oncology

Background:

• Systemic chemotherapy causes toxicity; local delivery aims to improve efficacy and reduce side effects.
• Controlling drug release and degradation remains a challenge in local drug delivery systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop epirubicin (EPI)-loaded poly(ε-caprolactone)/poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PCL/PLGA) nanofiber capsules for local chemotherapy.
• To achieve adjustable drug release and degradation rates for enhanced tumor treatment.

Main Methods:

• Core-sheath PCL/PLGA nanofiber capsules were fabricated using emulsion electrospinning technology.
• Varying concentrations of PCL in the sheath and EPI in the core were used to tune release and degradation profiles.

Main Results:

• Decreasing PCL content in the sheath accelerated EPI release and nanofiber degradation.
• EPI-loaded PCL/PLGA nanofiber capsules demonstrated effective inhibition of tumor cell growth both in vitro and in vivo.
• No significant systemic toxicity was observed with the drug-loaded nanofiber capsules.

Conclusions:

• Electrospun polyester nanofiber capsules offer controlled drug release and degradation for local chemotherapy.
• These epirubicin-loaded capsules show significant potential for treating local malignancies with improved safety profiles.