Abstract
Electrospun drug-eluting fibers have demonstrated potential applications in topical drug delivery, where modulations of drug releases were achieved through polymer fiber compositions. In this study, blend fibers of polycaprolactone (PCL) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) at various compositions were electrospun from 10 wt% of polymer solutions to encapsulate a model drug of ibuprofen (IBP). Results showed that average polymer solution viscosities determined the electrospinning parameters and the resulting average fiber diameters. In vitro release of IBP suggested a transition from a gradual release to a fast release when increasing PEO contents in the PCL/PEO blend fibers up to 120 minutes. In vitro viability of PCL/PEO blend fibers using MTT assays showed that the fibers were biocompatible with MEF-3T3 fibroblasts. To further modulate the drug release rate, fibers with a core/shell hierarchical structure were electrospun to encapsulate IBP as well as epidermal growth factor (EGF). Results suggested a gradual release of IBP up to 120 hours, dependent on core composition and shell layer thickness. In vitro viability of IBP-loaded PCL fibers showed that the fibers were biocompatible with NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. In vitro release of EGF from PCL core/shell fibers showed two stages of release profiles: an initial burst release on the first day followed by a sustained release over 21 days. Specifically, the 1C2S fibers exhibit an initial burst release, with a sharp increase in EGF release within the first few hours, followed by a slower release to achieve a complete release within 11 days. The cumulative release of EGF from the 1C4S and 1C8S fibers increased gradually over time, achieving 85% and 77 %, respectively, at 21 days. In vitro viability of EGF-loaded fibers showed biocompatibility of the fiber with NIH-3T3 fibroblasts. In addition, in vitro cell proliferation showed an increased number of cells over 7 days, while scratch assay confirmed that the release of EGF from the core-shell fibers maintained their biological cues to promote cellular activities. In conclusion, microfibers with hierarchical designs are capable of modulating IBP and EGF releases and are suitable for topical drug delivery applications.
Date of publication
Summer 6-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Language
english
Persistent identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4737
Committee members
Shih-Feng Chou, Alwathiqbellah Ibrahim, Carla Lacerda
Degree
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering degree
Recommended Citation
Bani Mustafa, Diala, "CONTROLLED DRUG DELIVERY AND CELLULAR ACTIVITIES FROM ELECTROSPUN FIBERS" (2024). Mechanical Engineering Theses. Paper 35.
http://hdl.handle.net/10950/4737