The microencapsulation of three model drugs; metronidazole, paracetamol and sulphapyridine into Poly (dl-Lactide-Co-Glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds were probed using X-ray Powder Diffraction (XRPD). Changes in the diffraction patterns of the PLGA scaffolds after encapsulation was suggestive of a chemical interaction between the pure drugs and the scaffolds and not a physical intermixture.
An injectable poly(DL-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) system comprising both porous and protein-loaded microspheres capable of forming porous scaffolds at body temperature was developed for tissue regeneration purposes. Porous and non-porous (lysozyme loaded) PLGA microspheres were formulated to represent 'low molecular weight' 22-34 kDa, 'intermediate molecular weight' (IMW) 53 kDa and 'high molecular weight' 84-109 kDa PLGA microspheres. The respective average size of the microspheres was directly related to the polymer molecular weight. An initial burst release of lysozyme was observed from both microspheres and scaffolds on day 1. In the case of the lysozyme-loaded microspheres, this burst release was inversely related to the polymer molecular weight. Similarly, scaffolds loaded with 1 mg lysozyme/g of scaffold exhibited an inverse release relationship with polymer molecular weight. The burst release was highest amongst IMW scaffolds loaded with 2 and 3 mg/g. Sustained lysozyme release was observed after day 1 over 50 days (microspheres) and 30 days (scaffolds). The compressive strengths of the scaffolds were found to be inversely proportional to PLGA molecular weight at each lysozyme loading. Surface analysis indicated that some of the loaded lysozyme was distributed on the surfaces of the microspheres and thus responsible for the burst release observed. Overall the data demonstrates the potential of the scaffolds for use in tissue regeneration.
Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a well-studied biodegradable polymer used in drug delivery and other medical applications such as in tissue regeneration. It is often necessary to impart porosity within the scaffold (microparticles) in order to promote the growth of tissue during the regeneration process. Sodium chloride and ammonium bicarbonate have been extensively used as porogens in the generation of porous microstructure. In this study, we compared the effect of volumes (250 μl, 500 μl and 750 μl) of two porogens, sodium chloride (1.71 M) and ammonium bicarbonate (1.71 M), on the porosity of PLGA microparticles.
The development of patient-friendly alternatives to bone-graft procedures is the driving force for new frontiers in bone tissue engineering. Poly (dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chitosan are well-studied and easy-to-process polymers from which scaffolds can be fabricated. In this study, a novel dual-application scaffold system was formulated from porous PLGA and protein-loaded PLGA/chitosan microspheres. Physicochemical and in vitro protein release attributes were established. The therapeutic relevance, cytocompatibility with primary human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) and osteogenic properties were tested. There was a significant reduction in burst release from the composite PLGA/chitosan microspheres compared with PLGA alone. Scaffolds sintered from porous microspheres at 37 °C were significantly stronger than the PLGA control, with compressive strengths of 0.846 ± 0.272 MPa and 0.406 ± 0.265 MPa, respectively (p