Amoyav Benzion, Benny Ofra
The Institute for Drug Research, The School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine, Campus Ein Kerem, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9112192, Israel.
Polymers (Basel). 2019 Mar 5;11(3):419. doi: 10.3390/polym11030419.
Polymeric porous particles are currently used for various applications in biotechnology, tissue engineering and pharmaceutical science, e.g., floating drug delivery systems and inhaled formulations. Particle shape and size depend on variable parameters; among them, polymer type and concentration, stirring speed, pH and type of solvent. In this study, porous poly(lactic--glycolic) acid (PLGA) and poly(d,l-lactide) (PLA) microspheres (MPs), with varying sizes and morphologies, were synthesized and optimized using both batch formulation and a flow-focusing microfluidic device. A well-established method of preparation utilizing solvent evaporation and the double emulsion technique was performed. Similar to other batch encapsulation methods, this technique is time and reagent consuming and consists of several steps. Hence, although porous structures provide tremendous opportunity in the design of new applications for tissue engineering and as improved controlled-release carriers, the synthesis of these particles with predefined properties remains challenging. We demonstrated the fabrication of porous MPs using a simple microfluidic device, compared to batch synthesis fabrication; and the effect of solvent, polymer concentration and type, post-hydrolysis treatment, on porosity degree. Moreover, a kinetic release study of fluorescent molecule was conducted for non-porous in comparison to porous particles. An overview of future prospects and the potential of these porous beads in this scientific area are discussed.
聚合物多孔颗粒目前用于生物技术、组织工程和制药科学的各种应用中，例如，漂浮药物递送系统和吸入制剂。颗粒的形状和大小取决于可变参数；其中包括聚合物类型和浓度、搅拌速度、pH值和溶剂类型。在本研究中，使用批量制剂和流动聚焦微流控装置合成并优化了具有不同尺寸和形态的多孔聚（乳酸-乙醇酸）（PLGA）和聚（d，l-丙交酯）（PLA）微球（MPs）。采用了一种成熟的利用溶剂蒸发和双乳液技术的制备方法。与其他批量包封方法类似，该技术既耗时又耗试剂，且包含多个步骤。因此，尽管多孔结构在组织工程新应用设计以及作为改进的控释载体方面提供了巨大机遇，但合成具有预定义特性的这些颗粒仍然具有挑战性。与批量合成制备相比，我们展示了使用简单微流控装置制造多孔MPs的方法；以及溶剂、聚合物浓度和类型、水解后处理对孔隙率的影响。此外，对无孔颗粒和多孔颗粒进行了荧光分子的动力学释放研究。讨论了这些多孔微珠在该科学领域的未来前景和潜力概述。
