Azithromycin Loaded Polymeric Membranes for Guided Tissue Regeneration

This project aims at addressing a significant issue in periodontal regeneration: bacterial contamination on the sites of undergoing Guided Tissue Regeneration (GTR). It is hypothesised that the local delivery and sustained release of azithromycin will significantly reduce any bacterial infection. For this purpose, the primary objective of the project is to engineer and assess a biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric matrix for the controlled delivery of azithromycin. 

Method:

PCL membranes are fabricated via solution electrospinning. The PCL membranes are then subjected to a calcium phosphate (CaP) coating process by successive immersion into specific reagents and solutions. Azithromycin encapsulation, release, antibacterial and cellular response when loaded onto PCL and PCL-CaP membranes are assessed on different doses of azithromycin. 

Result:

Azithromycin was successfully loaded onto PCL/PCL-CaP membranes using a novel ethanol evaporation technique. This method enables to reproducibly load azithromycin onto the electrospun membranes with a very high loading efficacy (around 75%), which is unprecedented for such a poorly water soluble compound. PCL membrane surface topography has shown to have an effect on azithromycin encapsulation and efficiency. CaP coating on PCL membranes increased the surface area of the material leading to higher loading efficacy and more uniform distribution of the antibiotic throughout the fibrous membrane. In-vitro release profile of azithromycin from the membrane demonstrated around 90% release from CaP coated and non-coated PCL membranes after 14 days of incubation with PBS at 37°C. Antibacterial activity of azithromycin loaded membranes on staphylococcus aureus suggest that the electrospun membranes loaded with azithromycin are capable to inhibit bacterial growth even after 14 days of release.

Conclusion:

In conclusion hydrophobic azithromycin was successfully encapsulated on to PCL/PCL-CaP membranes using ethanol evaporation technique. Our results have shown excellent encapsulation efficiency with a controlled release of 90% along with efficient antibacterial effect even after 14 days of release.