title: Magnetic nanoparticles-loaded PLA/PEG microspheres as drug carriers.
abstract: Surface-modified magnetite (Fe3 O4 ) nanoparticles with an average size of 22 nm were prepared. The nanoparticles had a saturation magnetization of 50.7 emu g(-1) . Then magnetite and drug-loaded microspheres of poly (lactic acid)/poly (ethylene glycol) were prepared at various compositions. The microspheres were spherical in shape and had smooth surface. The diameter size of the microspheres ranged between about 0.2 and 4 μm. Doxorubicin hydrochloride for cancer treatment was the drug that loaded into the microspheres. The prepared microspheres were characterized by FTIR, XRD, VSM, SEM and drug-release measurements. It was found that the drug cumulative release percentage was proportional to (time) (n) where 0.61 < n < 0.75 depending on PEG and Fe3 O4 contents. The drug release was controlled through a combination of diffusion and PLA hydrolysis and obeyed a non-fickian mechanism. The drug release was facilitated by presence of poly (ethylene glycol) as PLA plasticizer and was higher under applied external magnetic field. The obtained magnetic microspheres could be used as drug carriers for targeted drug delivery purposes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Masoud
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Frounchi
authors.forename: Soodeh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shamshiri
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D000067493:Dynamic Light Scattering; D007773:Lactates / Q000737:chemistry*; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008863:Microspheres; D010316:Particle Size; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000737:chemistry*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D004337:Drug Carriers; D007773:Lactates; D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles; C088513:poly(lactic acid-ethylene glycol); D011092:Polyethylene Glycols
keywords: PLA; doxorubicin hydrochloride; magnetic; microspheres; release mechanism