Tuning the Emulsion Properties Influences the Size of Poly(Caprolactone) Particles for Drug Delivery Applications

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Polymeric drug carriers are crucial for targeted drug and gene therapies.
• Poly(caprolactone) (PCL) offers biocompatibility and long delivery windows but has slow degradation.
• Optimizing PCL particle characteristics is key for effective drug delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and characterize poly(caprolactone) nanoparticles and microparticles for drug delivery.
• To evaluate the biocompatibility of PCL particles in various cancer and kidney cell lines.
• To determine the suitability of PCL particles for systemic tumor and inhaled aerosol delivery.

Main Methods:

• Emulsion solvent evaporation technique used to prepare 16 different PCL formulations.
• Particle size and zeta potential were measured.
• Cell viability assays were performed on lung adenocarcinoma, endometrial adenocarcinoma, and human embryonic kidney cells.

Main Results:

• PCL particles were successfully prepared in the size range of 300 nm to 1.7 μm with a zeta potential of -1.8 mV.
• Particles demonstrated no detrimental effects on cell viability at monolayer coverage.
• The study identified optimal PCL formulations for sustained drug delivery applications.

Conclusions:

• Poly(caprolactone) nanoparticles and microparticles are viable candidates for sustained drug delivery.
• The developed PCL carriers exhibit good biocompatibility, supporting their use in therapeutic applications.
• Further development of these PCL formulations is warranted for advanced drug delivery systems.