Drug-delivery Ca-Mg silicate scaffolds encapsulated in PLGA.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Developing dual-functional scaffolds for bone regeneration and localized antibiotic delivery is crucial for treating bone defects and infections.
• Bioresorbable materials are desirable for bone tissue engineering scaffolds.
• Controlling drug release and ensuring cell viability are key challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create dual-functional scaffolds using bredigite for bone tissue regeneration and vancomycin hydrochloride delivery.
• To investigate the effect of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) coatings on scaffold properties and performance.
• To evaluate the in vitro drug release kinetics and cytocompatibility of the modified scaffolds.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of porous bredigite scaffolds using the foam replica method.
• Loading scaffolds with vancomycin hydrochloride and encapsulating them in PLGA coatings.
• Characterization using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy, Archimedes Porosimetry, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.
• In vitro assessment of drug release kinetics and cytocompatibility with dental pulp stem cells via MTT assay.

Main Results:

• Bare bredigite scaffolds showed rapid vancomycin release and poor cell viability due to fast bioresorption.
• PLGA coatings successfully modified drug release profiles, maintaining scaffold porosity.
• PLGA coatings buffered physiological pH, significantly improving the cell viability of vancomycin-loaded scaffolds.

Conclusions:

• PLGA-coated bredigite scaffolds provide a promising dual-functional system for bone tissue engineering and localized antibiotic delivery.
• The PLGA coating is essential for controlling drug release and enhancing cytocompatibility.
• These modified scaffolds offer improved therapeutic potential compared to uncoated bredigite scaffolds.