Electrospun Bioresorbable Membrane Eluting Chlorhexidine for Dental Implants

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Dental Implantology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Dental implant-associated infections and pathogenic biofilm formation pose significant clinical challenges.
• Current strategies for preventing peri-implantitis often involve systemic or local antimicrobial administration with limitations.
• Developing localized, sustained antimicrobial delivery systems is crucial for enhancing dental implant success rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To engineer an antimicrobial drug-releasing electrospun membrane for preventing pathogenic biofilm development around dental implants.
• To optimize membrane formulation using poly(l-lactic-co-gycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly(l-lactic acid-co-ɛ-caprolactone) (PLC) copolymers loaded with chlorhexidine diacetate (CHX).
• To evaluate the membrane's physicochemical properties, drug release kinetics, antimicrobial efficacy, and biocompatibility in a preclinical setting.

Main Methods:

• Electrospinning of PLGA/PLC copolymer blends with chlorhexidine diacetate (CHX) complexed with β-cyclodextrin (CD).
• Tuning of membrane properties (residual solvent, mechanical strength, drug release) by varying copolymer ratios and CHX loading.
• Sterilization via γ-irradiation and characterization of fiber morphology (diameter 600 nm–3 µm).
• In vitro drug release studies and determination of bacterial inhibitory concentration.
• Subcutaneous implantation in a rat model to assess biocompatibility and cell penetration.

Main Results:

• Membrane formulation optimized using a 60% PLGA / 40% PLC blend with 4% CHX-CD achieved desirable mechanical properties (50% breaking strain) for handling.
• Sustained in vitro release of CHX over 10 days, reaching the bacterial inhibitory concentration (80 µg·mL⁻¹) within eight days.
• Sterilization by γ-irradiation did not significantly alter membrane properties.
• Subcutaneous implantation showed low cell penetration, indicating good initial biocompatibility.

Conclusions:

• The developed PLGA/PLC/CHX-CD electrospun membrane effectively delivers antimicrobial agents to prevent dental implant biofilm.
• The membrane exhibits suitable mechanical properties and sustained drug release, offering a promising localized antimicrobial strategy.
• Further optimization of membrane porosity is recommended to enhance cell penetration and promote tissue remodeling for improved long-term integration.