Released : Thursday, November 20, 2008 8:01 PM

2008 NOV 27 - (NewsRx.com) -- According to recent research published in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B - Applied Biomaterials, "Two different approaches were used to fabricate porous scaffolds, and their in vitro drug releasing characteristics were examined (see also Tissue Engineering). In the first method, a poly(I-lactic acid) (PLLA) solution and poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) + acetaminophen solution was homogenized."

"The emulsion was then blended with a PLLA solution in chloroform. The resultant emulsion was freeze-dried to form porous scaffolds. Various combinations were obtained by varying homogenizer speed and blender speed, and by varying the concentration of PVA and acetaminophen solutions. The in vitro drug-release study was performed for 6 days in a phosphate buffer. The influence of structure, porosity, and drug concentration of the scaffolds on drug-release rate was examined using design of experiments. In the second approach, scaffolds were prepared in layered constructs, with either a three-layered or five-layered structure. The PVA + acetaminophen solution was blended with PLLA solution using a blender. The drug-release study was performed for 19 days," wrote M. Uttarwar and colleagues, University of Texas.

The researchers concluded: "The effect of drug concentration, blender speed, and the thickness of the layers on drug-release rate was examined."

Uttarwar and colleagues published their study in the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B - Applied Biomaterials (Fabrication of porous, drug-releasing, biodegradable, polymer scaffolds for sustained drug release. Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B - Applied Biomaterials, 2008;87B(1):121-131).

For additional information, contact P. Aswath, University of Texas Arlington, Dept. of Materials Science & Engineering, Arlington, TX 76019, USA.

The publisher's contact information for the Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B - Applied Biomaterials is: Wiley-Liss, Division John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River St., Hoboken, NJ 07030, USA.

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