Evaluation of Electrospun PCL-PLGA for Sustained Delivery of Kartogenin

Abstract

In this study, kartogenin was incorporated into an electrospun blend of polycaprolactone and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (1:1) to determine the feasibility of this system for sustained drug delivery. Kartogenin is a small-molecule drug that could enhance the outcome of microfracture, a cartilage restoration procedure, by selectively stimulating chondrogenic differentiation of endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Experimental results showed that kartogenin did not affect the electrospinnability of the polymer blend, and it had negligible effects on fiber morphology and scaffold mechanical properties. The loading efficiency of kartogenin into electrospun membranes was nearly 100%, and no evidence of chemical reaction between kartogenin and the polymers was detected by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Analysis of the released drug using high-performance liquid chromatography–photodiode array detection indicated an abundance of kartogenin and only a small amount of its major hydrolysis product. Kartogenin displayed a typical biphasic release profile, with approximately 30% being released within 24 h followed by a much slower, constant rate of release up to 28 days. Although additional development is needed to tune the release kinetics and address issues common to electrospun scaffolds (e.g., high fiber density), the results of this study demonstrated that a scaffold electrospun from biodegradable synthetic polymers is a suitable kartogenin delivery vehicle.

Degradable biomedical elastomers: paving the future of tissue repair and regenerative medicine

“…However, this limitation can be mitigated by forming block copolymers with other biodegradable polymers, such as poly(lactic acid-glycolic acid) (PLGA), resulting in PCL-PLGA copolymers. 197 These copolymers have demonstrated accelerated degradation compared to pure PCL, while still retaining robust mechanical properties.…”

Preparation of kartogenin-loaded PLGA microspheres and a study of their drug release profiles

“…The clinical application of KGN is further challenged by its limited bioavailability and rapid degradation in physiological environments (Xu et al, 2021). To address these challenges, recent advancements have focused on drug delivery systems, including nano-encapsulation (Almeida et al, 2020;Fan et al, 2020), polymer-based scaffolds (Wang et al, 2019;Elder et al, 2022), and targeted delivery mechanisms (Jing et al, 2020), aiming to enhance stability of KGN, controlled release, and targeted delivery. Despite these advancements, there is still a significant gap in optimizing these delivery systems.…”

Reconstruction of tracheal window-shape defect by 3D printed polycaprolatone scaffold coated with Silk Fibroin Methacryloyl

“…[14] It could selectively stimulate chondrogenic differentiation of endogenous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. [15] Here, the purpose of this study was to prepare 3D printed hybrid tracheal graft fabricated by PCL coated with SilMA, in which BMSCs, KGN and epithelia were co-cultured, and to select the appropriate concentration. So that, the effect on cell behavior can be explored.…”