PLGA Micro- and Nanoparticles Loaded Into Gelatin Scaffold for Controlled Drug Release

Curcumin and bovine serum albumin (BSA) were used as model drugs and loaded into micro- and nanoparticles of biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). The PLGA was incorporated into hydrophilic and biocompatible gelatin scaffolds to design a controlled drug release system. The gelatin scaffolds were cross-linked using glutaraldehyde. The controlled delivery of drugs from biologically active PLGA micro- and nanoparticles was measured and these showed consistent release for 30 days. Curcumin- and BSA-loaded PLGA micro/nanoparticles based gelatin scaffolds define a novel approach to embed multiple drug molecules to overcome multidrug resistance as well as depict a new type of biocompatible and biodegradable implant. Such scaffold constructs can be used for breast implants after lumpectomy to not only overcome cosmetic issues, but also to provide sustained drug release during healing process. In one type of construct, only BSA-loaded microparticles were mixed with gelatin, while in the other type of construct, both BSA- and curcumin-loaded PLGA microparticles were embedded. BSA- and curcumin-loaded nanoparticles were also embedded into gelatin constructs to see the effects of particle size on drug release. After 30 days, cumulative BSA release from PLGA micro-and nanoparticles embedded in gelatin scaffold were measured to be 69.87% and 86.11%, respectively. The cumulative release of curcumin was measured to be 53.11% and 60.42% from curcumin-loaded PLGA micro-and nanoparticles, respectively. A statistically significant difference was seen in cumulative drug release from these scaffolds (p value < 0.05).