Biodegradable hollow microfibres to produce bioactive scaffolds

Biodegradable hollow microfibres containing particles loaded with specific active agents can be potentially employed to produce a special kind of substrate for tissue engineering, able to function as a scaffold and at the same time to act as a drug-releasing system. Biodegradable hollow microfibres based on poly(lactic acid) were produced by a dry-wet spinning procedure. Drug-loaded microparticles were prepared by a simple oil-in-water emulsion and entrapped inside the fibres. The morphology of both fibres and particles was investigated by scanning electron microscopy. The mechanical and thermal properties of the fibres were investigated by tensile tests and differential scanning calorimetry. In vitro tests were performed to evaluate the release of the drug from the fibres loaded with the particles (C) 2004 Society of Chemical Industry.