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Repurposing biodegradable tissue engineering scaffolds for localized chemotherapeutic delivery
Erika L Cyphert1, Monika Bil2, Horst A von Recum1
1Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio.
Journal of Biomedical Materials Research. Part A
|January 24, 2020
Summary
Biodegradable porous sponges, typically for tissue engineering, show promise for drug delivery. Their pore structure, swelling, and degradation directly influence drug loading and release, guiding future device design.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Highly porous biodegradable sponges are commonly used as tissue engineering scaffolds.
- Their potential for drug delivery applications is underexplored, contrasting with typical solid, nonporous polymer devices.
- Understanding the structure-function relationship in these sponges is crucial for developing advanced delivery systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the structure-function relationship of drug delivery from biodegradable porous sponges.
- To correlate sponge properties (swelling, porosity, degradation) with drug loading capacity and release kinetics.
- To inform the design of porous delivery systems for standalone drug delivery or combined with tissue engineering.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of porous sponges using poly(DL-lactide-glycolide) and poly(caprolactone)-co-poly(lactide) via salt-leaching and solvent-quenching.
- Evaluation of sponge properties: swelling, porosity (pore volume fraction, pore number density), and degradation.
- Assessment of drug loading capacity and release profile of cisplatin as a model drug.
Main Results:
- Swelling, pore volume fraction, and pore number density were positively correlated with drug loading capacity.
- These sponge properties also showed a positive correlation with the amount of cisplatin released within 2 hours.
- Demonstrated a clear link between the physical characteristics of porous sponges and their drug release performance.
Conclusions:
- Biodegradable porous sponges can be engineered for effective drug delivery applications.
- Key structural parameters like swelling and porosity significantly dictate drug loading and release rates.
- This knowledge facilitates the rational design of novel porous drug delivery devices.
