Preparations and properties of drug-eluting embolization microspheres based on modified gelatin

ABSTRACT

Embolization using microspheres plays an important role in interventional cancer therapy. The drug-eluting embolization microspheres were prepared via reverse suspension crosslinking of gelatin, followed by modification of the cross-linked microspheres. The microspheres displayed regular spherical shapes with size distribution ranging from 180 μm to 350 μm. The negatively charged groups (COO⁻) were introduced into the microspheres which could load positively charged doxorubicin with loading rates as high as 26.1% and 34.0% in 1 and 12 h, respectively. The high drug-loading rates were ascribed to ionic interaction between carboxyl groups and doxorubicin. The drug release profile showed the modified microspheres (MMS) have a sustained release manner compared with non-MMS in phosphate buffered saline (PBS). The MMS were almost completely degradated after 20 days. Cytotoxicity assay certified that the MMS were non-cytotoxic, and could be potentially used as biocompatible materials.

KEYWORDS:

• Doxorubicin
• embolic microsphere
• gelatin
• interventional cancer therapy
• modification

Declaration of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Supplementary materials

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Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20161128), MOE & SAFEA for the 111 Project (B13025), and Research Fund of Central University (JUSRP51626B).