Electrospinning Equipment: Silk fibroin-based microneedle patch with sustained growth hormone release for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency

Application of silk fibroin in drug delivery systems

As a medical material certified by the US FDA, silk fibroin has good biocompatibility, cell adhesion properties, mechanical strength and controllable in vivo degradation rate. These properties make it widely used in biomedicine and tissue regeneration. In recent years, the research on silk fibroin as a sustained-release drug carrier has attracted more and more attention. Silk fibroin can be processed and prepared under mild conditions of all water, effectively avoiding the adverse effects of organic solvents on the stability of biomacromolecule drugs such as proteins. Therefore, it shows unique advantages in the development of delivery systems for protein peptide drugs, nucleic acids and other biomacromolecule drugs.

Zeng Xiaowei/Mei Lin's team from the School of Pharmacy of Sun Yat-sen University has developed a silk fibroin-based peelable microneedle patch (PAA/NaHCO3-Silk MN) for the sustained release of growth hormone (rhGH) to treat growth hormone deficiency (GHD). This microneedle patch is designed with an active layer so that MN is separated from the substrate within 1 minute after application to the skin, achieving sustained release of rhGH for more than 7 days, and producing similar effects to daily subcutaneous injections in promoting height and weight. The design of this new type of long-acting drug release system based on silk protein microneedle patch not only provides a new idea for the clinical treatment of GHD patients, but also broadens the application of silk protein in the field of drug delivery.

Application of electrospinning equipment in silk protein materials

Electrospinning equipment can produce high-performance nanofibers, which have high specific surface area, high porosity and good biocompatibility, and are widely used in tissue engineering, drug delivery and other fields. Combining electrospinning technology with the research of silk protein can further improve the performance and application effect of the material:

Preparation of nanofiber structure: Electrospinning can produce uniform continuous fibers with diameters ranging from nanometers to micrometers. These fibers can be used to construct the reinforced structure of silk protein-based materials and improve their mechanical properties and stability.

Regulating fiber morphology and arrangement: By adjusting the parameters in the electrospinning process (such as spinning solution concentration, viscosity, electric field strength, etc.), the diameter and morphology of the fiber can be precisely controlled, thereby optimizing the performance of the material.

Loading bioactive substances: Electrospinning equipment can prepare nanofiber scaffolds loaded with bioactive molecules, and by controlling the release rate, the sustained effect of bioactive substances at the drug delivery site can be achieved.

Combination with other technologies: Electrospinning technology can also be combined with 3D printing technology to achieve the precise construction of complex three-dimensional structures. For example, by installing an electrospinning print head and an extrusion print head at the same time, the printing process of active biological structures can be completed in a single step. This combination can provide more design freedom and higher precision for the preparation of silk fibroin-based materials, and meet the personalized customization of different drug delivery needs.

Summary and Outlook

As a multifunctional natural material, silk fibroin can be processed by electrospinning technology to prepare nanofibers with excellent structure and performance, expanding its application in drug delivery systems. Future research can further explore the combination of electrospinning technology with other emerging technologies, such as nanotechnology, smart materials, etc., to achieve more complex and sophisticated structural design and functional regulation. In addition, the electrospinning process parameters and material selection can be optimized to improve the biocompatibility, mechanical properties and functionality of nanofibers, and promote the clinical transformation and application of silk fibroin-based materials in the field of drug delivery.

Electrospinning Nanofibers Article Source:

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2022.04.015