초록 |
Polylactic acid (PLA) is a biocompatible and biodegradable polymer, so it has been widely used as a matrix material for a lipophilic drug delivery. It is dissolved in an organic solvent with the drugs, and encapsulated as the microbeads to induce the sustained release of the drugs. As the PLA matrix entraps the drugs, they can be gradually released from the microbeads with the controlled rate of degradation of the PLA. In this work, we fabricate the biodegradable PLA microspheres with a hydrogel shell to provide a sustained release that can minimize initial burst. Furthermore, the hydrogel shell can improve a high suspension. With a capillary microfluidic device, we produce the hydrogel-shelled PLA microspheres which are composed of a consolidated PLA core with a model drug and a calcium alginate hydrogel shell. The resulting microspheres in an aqueous medium, which accelerates the degradation of PLA, show an extended period of sustained release. Additionally, the hydrogel-shelled PLA microspheres do not agglomerate or adhere into each other. These results indicate that the hydrogel-shelled PLA microspheres can be provided as lipophilic drug carriers with a sustained release. |