Liposomes Affect Protein Release and Stability of ITA-Modified PLGA-PEG-PLGA Hydrogel Carriers for Controlled Drug Delivery

Fat grafting, a key regenerative medicine technique, often requires repeat procedures due to high-fat reabsorption and volume loss. Addressing this, a novel drug delivery system uniquely combines a thermosensitive, FDA-approved hydrogel (itaconic acid-modified PLGA-PEG-PLGA copolymer) with FGF2-STAB, a stable fibroblast growth factor 2 with a 21-day stability, far exceeding a few hours of wild-type FGF2's stability. Additionally, the growth factor was encapsulated in "green" liposomes prepared via the Mozafari method, ensuring pH protection. The system, characterized by first-order FGF2-STAB release, employs green chemistry for biocompatibility, bioactivity, and eco-friendliness. The liposomes, with diameters of 85.73 +/- 3.85 nm and 68.6 +/- 2.2% encapsulation efficiency, allowed controlled FGF2-STAB release from the hydrogel compared to the unencapsulated FGF2-STAB. Yet, the protein compromised the carrier's hydrolytic stability. Prior tests were conducted on model proteins human albumin (efficiency 80.8 +/- 3.2%) and lysozyme (efficiency 81.0 +/- 2.7%). This injectable thermosensitive system could advance reconstructive medicine and cosmetic procedures.

Keywords

Drug delivery, PLGA-PEG-PLGA copolymer, itaconic acid, FGF2-STAB®, Mozafari method, liposomes

Citation

BIOMACROMOLECULES. 2023, vol. 25, issue 1, p. 67-76.
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/epdf/10.1021/acs.biomac.3c00736

Document type

Peer-reviewed

Document version

Published version

Language of document

en

Document licence

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/