Abstract:

BACKGROUND: As a sutureless implantable biomaterial, fibrin-binding amniotic membrane can not deliver drugs in a sustained and efficient way locally, especially for those instable bioactive proteins.
OBJECTIVE: To construct a novel sutureless implantable composite biomaterial by combining recombinant human epidermal growth factor (rhEGF)-loaded chitosan nanoparticles, fibrin gel and amniotic membrane, which could deliver therapeutic proteins in a sustained way.
METHODS: rhEGF-loaded chitosan nanoparticles were prepared and characterized, and then they were incorporated into a fibrin gel matrix during polymerization. By binding the prepared fibrin gel to a piece of amniotic membrane, a rhEGF/chitosan nanoparticle-loaded fibrin-binding amniotic membrane (rhEGF/CS-FBAM) was obtained. The morphology and in vitro drug release ability of rhEGF/CS-FBAM were investigated, and the bioactivity of released rhEGF was examined.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The average grain size of rhEGF/chitosan nanoparticles is (275.7±6.8) nm, Zeta potential (32.7±0.6) mV, encapsulation efficiency (67.03±1.22) (%) and polydispersity index (0.23±0.04), uniform circular shape. The nanoparticle-loaded fibrin gel could firmly adhere to the amniotic membrane and had a network structure with nanoparticles in it. The rhEGF release from the rhEGF/CS-FBAM was sustained for approximately 14 days and the released rhEGF was bioactive for up to seven days. As a sutureless implantable biomaterial, the prepared rhEGF/CS-FBAM can locally deliver therapeutic rhEGF in a sustained way.