Multifunctional Self-Assembled Films for Rapid Hemostat and Sustained Anti-infective Delivery.

Uncontrolled bleeding and infection are the major causes of death and morbidity from traumatic wounds during military conflicts, disasters, and accidents. Because immediate treatment is critical to survival, it is desirable to have a lightweight and rapidly applicable bandage-one capable of delivering a hemostat that can quickly resolve bleeding while addressing infection over short and longer time frames. It is challenging to design thin film coatings capable of multidrug release, particularly when the drugs are quite different in nature (biologic versus small molecule, charged versus neutral) and the desired release profiles are different for each drug. Herein we have adopted a layer-by-layer film assembly technique to create a linear combination of two independently functional films capable of rapidly releasing thrombin within minutes while sustaining vancomycin elution for more than 24 h. By conjugating vancomycin to a hydrolytically degradable polyacid, poly(ß-L-malic acid), we were able to create a robust thin film with loading and release kinetics that remain unaffected by the additional deposition of a thrombin-based film, demonstrating the possibility for future multitherapeutic films with independently tunable release kinetics.

Multimonth controlled small molecule release from biodegradable thin films.

Long-term, localized delivery of small molecules from a biodegradable thin film is challenging owing to their low molecular weight and poor charge density. Accomplishing highly extended controlled release can facilitate high therapeutic levels in specific regions of the body while significantly reducing the toxicity to vital organs typically caused by systemic administration and decreasing the need for medical intervention because of its long-lasting release. Also important is the ability to achieve high drug loadings in thin film coatings to allow incorporation of significant drug amounts on implant surfaces. Here we report a sustained release formulation for small molecules based on a soluble charged polymer-drug conjugate that is immobilized into nanoscale, conformal, layer-by-layer assembled films applicable to a variety of substrate surfaces. We measured a highly predictable sustained drug release from a polymer thin film coating of 0.5-2.7 µm that continued for more than 14 mo with physiologically relevant drug concentrations, providing an important drug delivery advance. We demonstrated this effect with a potent small molecule nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, diclofenac, because this drug can be used to address chronic pain, osteoarthritis, and a range of other critical medical issues.

Ordered and kinetically discrete sequential protein release from biodegradable thin films.

Multidrug regimens can sometimes treat recalcitrant diseases when single-drug therapies fail. Recapitulating complex multidrug administration from controlled release films for localized delivery remains challenging because their release kinetics are frequently intertwined, and an initial burst release of each drug is usually uncontrollable. Kinetic control over protein release is demonstrated by cross-linking layer-by-layer films during the assembly process. We used biodegradable and naturally derived components and relied on copper-free click chemistry for bioorthogonal covalent cross-links throughout the film that entrap but do not modify the embedded protein. We found that this strategy restricted the interdiffusion of protein while maintaining its activity. By depositing a barrier layer and a second protein-containing layer atop this construct, we generated well-defined sequential protein release with minimal overlap that follows their spatial distribution within the film.

Multilayer films assembled from naturally-derived materials for controlled protein release.

Herein we designed and characterized films composed of naturally derived materials for controlled release of proteins. Traditional drug delivery strategies rely on synthetic or semisynthetic materials or utilize potentially denaturing assembly conditions that are not optimal for sensitive biologics. Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly of films uses benign conditions and can generate films with various release mechanisms including hydrolysis-facilitated degradation. These use components such as synthetic polycations that degrade into non-natural products. Herein we report the use of a naturally derived, biocompatible and degradable polyanion, poly(ß-l-malic acid), alone and in combination with chitosan in an LbL film, whose degradation products of malic acid and chitosan are both generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA. We have found that films based on this polyanion have shown sustained release of a model protein, lysozyme that can be timed from tens of minutes to multiple days through different film architectures. We also report the incorporation and release of a clinically used biologic, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), which demonstrates the use of this strategy as a platform for controlled release of various biologics.