In vitro degradation and release characteristics of spin coated thin films of PLGA with a "breath figure" morphology.

In vitro degradation and release characteristics of spin coated thin films of PLGA with a "breath figure" morphology. Biomatter. 2012 Apr-Jun;2(2):77-86 Authors: Ponnusamy T, Lawson LB, Freytag LC, Blake DA, Ayyala RS, John VT Abstract Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) coatings on implant materials are widely used in controlled drug delivery applications. Typically, such coatings are made with non-porous films. Here, we have synthesized a thin PLGA film coating with a highly ordered microporous structure using a simple and inexpensive water templating "breath figure" technique. A single stage process combining spin coating and breath figure process was used to obtain drug incorporated porous thin films. The films were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to observe the surface and bulk features of porosity and also, degradation pattern of the films. Moreover, the effect of addition of small amount of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) into PLGA was characterized. SEM analysis revealed an ordered array of ~2 µm sized pores on the surface with the average film thickness measured to be 20 µm. The incorporation of hydrophilic poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) enhances pore structure uniformity and facilitates ingress of water into the structure. A five week in vitro degradation study showed a gradual deterioration of the breath figure pores. During the course of degradation, the surface pore structure deteriorates to initially ...
Source: Biomatter - Category: Biotechnology Tags: Biomatter Source Type: research