Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 11, 2026
15:33
Microwave-assisted Functionalization of Polyethylene glycol and On-resin Peptides for Use in Chain Polymerizations and Hydrogel Formation
Published on: October 29, 2013
29.7K
Phase Separation-Induced Surface Protuberances in Hydrogel Particles for Enhanced Intestinal Retention
Bin Kong1, Rui Liu2, Yang Zhao3
1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Infection Immunity and Inflammation, Department of Biomedical Engineering, School of Medicine, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China.
Advanced Healthcare Materials
|November 18, 2025
Summary
Researchers developed novel, rough-surfaced microcapsules using a solvent-free method. These budding microcapsules show enhanced intestinal adhesion and therapeutic potential for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Area of Science:
- Polymer Science
- Biomaterials Engineering
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Surface roughness on microparticles can improve biological interactions.
- Creating engineered surface roughness on polymeric membranes is difficult.
- Natural budding processes offer inspiration for microparticle design.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a solvent-free method for creating microcapsules with tunable surface roughness.
- To investigate the mechanism of surface roughness generation via interfacial instability.
- To evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of these rough-surfaced microcapsules in an inflammatory bowel disease model.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a microfluidic platform to create tannic acid-polyethylene oxide (TA-PEO) microcapsules.
- Triggered interfacial instability using bovine serum albumin (BSA) to induce surface budding.
- Optimized microcapsule size and monodispersity via vibration frequency and flow rate.
- Assessed drug release profiles by adjusting polyethylene oxide (PEO) concentration.
- Evaluated in vivo intestinal adhesion and retention of budding vs. smooth microcapsules.
- Tested probiotic-loaded budding microcapsules in a dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Main Results:
- Successfully engineered solvent-free TA-PEO microcapsules with tunable surface roughness via BSA-induced budding.
- Demonstrated pH-responsive drug release (tunable from burst to sustained) based on PEO concentration.
- Budding microcapsules exhibited significantly enhanced intestinal adhesion and prolonged in vivo retention compared to smooth microcapsules.
- Probiotic-loaded budding microcapsules ameliorated DSS-induced IBD symptoms, restoring colon length, epithelial integrity, and body weight.
Conclusions:
- Established a novel, solvent-free strategy for fabricating adhesive, rough-surfaced microcapsules.
- The engineered surface roughness and budding mechanism enhance mucosal adhesion for targeted delivery.
- These microcapsules show significant therapeutic potential for gastrointestinal diseases like IBD.
