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Hierarchically electrospraying a PLGA@chitosan sphere-in-sphere composite microsphere for multi-drug-controlled
Zhu Liu1,2, Weilong Ye1,2, Jingchuan Zheng1,2
1State Key Laboratory of New Ceramic & Fine Processing, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, No. 1 Qinghuayuan, Beijing 100084, China.
Regenerative Biomaterials
|August 15, 2020
Summary
This study introduces a novel electrospray method to create composite microspheres for controlled drug release. These dual-drug loaded microspheres show potential for advanced sequential therapies in tissue regeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Sequential drug administration is crucial for cellular regulation and tissue regeneration.
- Microspheres (MS) are effective carriers for controlled drug release.
- Electrospray is a validated technique for producing uniform MS with high drug loading.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a simple, hierarchical electrospray technique for fabricating sphere-in-sphere composite microspheres.
- To encapsulate two different model drugs within these composite microspheres.
- To evaluate the drug distribution, release kinetics, and structural integrity of encapsulated drugs.
Main Methods:
- Hierarchical electrospray fabrication of poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres within chitosan microspheres.
- Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for microsphere morphology and uniformity assessment.
- Encapsulation of bovine serum albumin and chlorhexidine acetate as model drugs.
- In vitro drug release studies using fluorescence and UV spectrophotometry.
- Analysis of drug structure preservation using far-UV circular dichroism and MALDI-TOF-MS.
Main Results:
- Uniform sphere-in-sphere composite microspheres (chitosan MS containing PLGA MS) were successfully fabricated with controllable sizes.
- Model drugs (bovine serum albumin and chlorhexidine acetate) were effectively loaded and showed excellent distribution within the microspheres.
- Sustained and slow in vitro drug release profiles were observed for both encapsulated drugs.
- Electrospraying did not compromise the secondary structure or molecular weight of the model drugs.
Conclusions:
- A modified hierarchical electrospraying technique provides a robust method for creating dual-drug loaded composite microspheres.
- These composite microspheres demonstrate potential for sequential and multi-modality therapeutic applications.
- The technique ensures drug integrity and controlled release, paving the way for advanced regenerative medicine strategies.
