Fabrication and Characterization of Double-Walled Microsphere as a Drug Delivery System for Stroke Treatment

Abstract

Stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain results in cell death. The current treatment options are limited and only very few patients can benefit from these treatments. Stroke causes brain swelling and often a decompressive craniectomy is performed for some of the patients to release intracranial pressure to prevent further damage. As a result, a duraplasty is implanted to replace the surgically-damaged dura mater to protect the brain. In view of that, the purpose of this project was to develop double-walled microspheres (DWMS) which can be used as a drug delivery system when incorporated into duraplasty to promote endogenous stem cell therapy to treat stroke. The DWMS were composed of poly (l-lactic acid) (PLLA) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) using a solvent evaporation method. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), as a model protein, was entrapped within these DWMS with different core-shell thicknesses and compositions to investigate the distribution of protein, encapsulation efficiency, and in vitro release. The fabrication process parameters of DWMS were also optimized to attain higher yields, and the phase separation and surface morphology were examined by differential scanning calorimetry and scanning electron microscopy.