Abstract

Electrospun-based drug delivery is emerging as a versatile means of localized therapy; however, controlling the release rates of active agents still remains as a key question. We propose a facile strategy to control the drug release behavior from electrospun fibers by a simple modification of polymer matrices. Polylactic acid (PLA) was used as a major component of the drug-carrier, and doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) was used as a model drug. The influences of a polar co-solvent, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), and a hydrophilic polymer additive, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), on the drug miscibility, loading efficiency and release behavior were investigated. The use of DMSO enabled the homogeneous internalization of the drug as well as higher drug loading efficiency within the electrospun fibers. The PVP additive induced phase separation in the PLA matrix and acted as a porogen. Preferable partitioning of Dox into the PVP domain resulted in increased drug loading efficiency in the PLA/PVP fiber. Fast dissolution of PVP domains created pores in the fibers, facilitating the release of internalized Dox. The novelty of this study lies in the detailed experimental investigation of the effect of additives in pre-spinning formulations, such as co-solvents and polymeric porogens, on the drug release behavior of nanofibers.

Highlights

  • Over recent decades, electrospinning has been used as a versatile means of fabricating submicron fibers

  • While the compatibility of doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) both in PVP and Polylactic acid (PLA) was enhanced with the use of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), the from PLA-Dox(DMSO) was still the lowest while the Loading Efficiency (LE)% was as high as 91%

  • Conclusions the compatibility of Dox both in PVP and PLA was enhanced with the use of DMSO, the effect onrelease the release rate was completely different

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Summary

Introduction

Over recent decades, electrospinning has been used as a versatile means of fabricating submicron fibers. The high porosity of electrospun materials promotes the permeation of gases and nutrients [4,5,6] in tissue scaffolds, and high surface-to-volume ratio facilitates the adhesion and proliferation of cells [7,8]. With such characteristics, electrospun materials have become an attractive option for tissue engineering [9,10]

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