1 research outputs found
Electrospun Acetalated Dextran Scaffolds for Temporal Release of Therapeutics
Electrospun acetalated dextran (Ac-DEX)
scaffolds were fabricated
to encapsulate resiquimod, an immunomodulatory toll-like-receptor
(TLR) agonist. Ac-DEX has been used to fabricate scaffolds for sustained
and temporal delivery of therapeutics because it has tunable degradation
rates that are dependent on its synthesis reaction time or the molecular
weight of dextran. Additionally, as opposed to commonly electrospun
polyesters that shift the local pH upon degradation, the degradation
products of Ac-DEX are pH-neutral: dextran, an alcohol, and the metabolic
byproduct acetone. Formulations of Ac-DEX with two different degradation
rates were used in this study. The effects of electrospinning conditions
on the scaffold size and morphology were examined as well as fibroblast
adhesion as imaged with fluorescence microcopy and scanning electron
microscopy. Macrophage (MΦ) viability further indicates that
the scaffolds are cytocompatible. Also, the controlled release profiles
of resiquimod from loaded scaffolds and nitric oxide (NO) production
by MΦ incubated with these scaffolds show the potential for
Ac-DEX scaffolds to be used to temporally and efficiently deliver
therapeutics. Overall, we present a novel scaffold that can have tunable
and unique drug release rates for tissue engineering, drug delivery,
immunomodulation, and wound healing applications