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Use of hydrodynamic flow focusing for the generation of biodegradable camptothecin-loaded polymer microspheres

✍ Scribed by Thomas Schneider; Hong Zhao; John K. Jackson; Glenn H. Chapman; James Dykes; Urs O. Häfeli


Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Year
2008
Tongue
English
Weight
258 KB
Volume
97
Category
Article
ISSN
0022-3549

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✦ Synopsis


The present study was conducted to investigate the use of hydrodynamic flow focusing for the generation of biodegradable polymer microspheres encapsulating the anticancer drug camptothecin. Poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) and poly (L-lactide) (PLA) were used as the matrix materials. Camptothecin was dissolved in the disperse phase and microspheres with a mean size between 2 and 3 mm generated using hydrodynamic flow focusing. When up to 1 wt.% of the drug was added to PLA, the drug encapsulation efficiency was 64%. For PLGA, the drug encapsulation efficiency was between 39 and 46%. Drug release from PLA particles was rapid and complete within 6 h, while drug release from PLGA particles showed no burst effect and followed a first order release profile. The encapsulated camptothecin stayed in its active lactone form, as shown by HPLC, and was able to exert cell toxic effects as shown by a cell viability assay. Hydrodynamic flow focusing is a promising tool for the preparation of drugreleasing biodegradable microspheres typically made by solvent evaporation and/or solvent extraction, as indicated by the successful encapsulation of the anticancer drug camptothecin.