Abstract
Controlled release of a drug provides flexibility in site-specific delivery and the ability for triggered release based on a feedback control. Electrospun nanofibers have the ability to carry the required drug payload and serve as a flexible implant particularly when the fibers are made from FDA-approved biodegradable materials. Tunability of the electrospun fibers to provide control over the release of the drug via internal or external cues and their structural advantages, such as high surface to volume ratio and similarity to extra cellular matrix, make them an ideal drug delivery carrier. However, proper formulation of the drug-polymer composite to control the release requires a better understanding of the parameters affecting the formulation, which determines the kinetics of release. Mechanisms of drug release can be influenced by the electrospinning process parameters, and intrinsic properties of the drugs and polymers used. Therefore, the choice of the polymeric matrix and the method of electrospinning, play a crucial role in the final release pattern. Combining electrospinning with other advanced fabrication techniques, can also provide multifunctional properties and various means of control over the release. Here, we evaluated the influence of electrospinning process parameters on the fiber morphology. We showed the tunability of the electrospun fibers in providing rapid, sustained, controlled and on-demand release using a hydrophobic small molecule cancer drug, Honokiol. We observed the effectiveness of our drug-loaded electrospun fibers as implant-based parenteral delivery systems for providing controlled and long-term delivery of mitochondria-targeting antioxidant, JP4-039for treatment of myocardial infarction, and Honokiol for renal cancer. To conclude, the parameters crucial in providing spatiotemporal control over the drug release, and the functionality of the released drugs in providing proper therapeutic effects in vitro on the related cell lines, for treatments of the world’s leading causes of death, cardiovascular diseases and cancer, have been demonstrated.