- Use of a microfluidic platform for polymersomes fabrication
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- Tailorable properties of synthetic polymer-based polymersomes have promised great potential for this vesicular carrier in drug delivery applications. Microfluidics (MF) presents a high-throughput, highly tunable and reproducible means for fabricating polymersome formulations of good monodispersity – the method is thus of interest to be explored. A review of polymersomes, its traditional fabrication techniques, and the microfluidic approach was covered in this project. Poly (1,2-butadiene)-b-(ethylene oxide) (PBd-b-EO) based polymersomes of different molecular weights were formulated via a MF approach, using a staggered herringbone mixer (SHM) device, available under tradename Nanoassemblr. MF conditions, namely, choice of organic solvent, flow rate and flow rate ratio, were tuned to obtain optimal formulations of blank polymersomes. The MF method was compared against the thin-film hydration technique, and MF was found to be more suitable for PBd(1.7)-b-EO(1) (in kDa), producing comparable sizes and PDI to the thin-film tecnhnique. Dynamic light scattering, Static Light Scattering and Cryogenic Transmission Electron Microscopy were used to verify the morphology of the nanoparticles. Using optimal MF conditions derived for formation of blank polymersomes, drug loading with hydrophilic Dexamethasone Sodium Phosphate (Dex-NaP) was performed, and liquid chromatography was used to evaluate drug encapsulation and release from the polymersomes. Unfortunately, burst release and poor encapsulation were observed for the Dex-NaP PBd-b-EO samples, signifying poor Dex-NaP to PBd-EO polymer interactions. Further study remains to be done to understand the mechanisms behind polymersome formation in SHM MF devices, and its efficacies in hydrophilic drug loading.
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