title: Levofloxacin-loaded star poly(ε-caprolactone) scaffolds by additive manufacturing.
abstract: The employment of a tissue engineering scaffold able to release an antimicrobial agent with a controlled kinetics represents an effective tool for the treatment of infected tissue defects as well as for the prevention of scaffolds implantation-related infectious complications. This research activity was aimed at the development of additively manufactured star poly(ε-caprolactone) (*PCL) scaffolds loaded with levofloxacin, investigated as antimicrobial fluoroquinolone model. For this purpose a computer-aided wet-spinning technique allowing functionalizing the scaffold during the fabrication process was explored. Scaffolds with customized composition, microstructure and anatomical external shape were developed by optimizing the processing parameters. Morphological, thermal and mechanical characterization showed that drug loading did not compromise the fabrication process and the final performance of the scaffolds. The developed *PCL scaffolds showed a sustained in vitro release of the loaded antibiotic for 5 weeks. The proposed computer-aided wet-spinning technique appears well suited for the fabrication of anatomical scaffolds endowed with levofloxacin-releasing properties to be tested in vivo for the regeneration of long bone critical size defects in a rabbit model.
authors.affiliation: BIOLab Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, UdR INSTM Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Puppi
authors.affiliation: BIOLab Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, UdR INSTM Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Maria
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Piras
authors.affiliation: BIOLab Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, UdR INSTM Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pirosa
authors.affiliation: BIOLab Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, UdR INSTM Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sandreschi
authors.affiliation: BIOLab Research Group, Department of Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry, University of Pisa, UdR INSTM Pisa, Via Moruzzi 13, 56124, Pisa, Italy. federica.chiellini@unipi.it.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chiellini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D017076:Computer-Aided Design; D064704:Levofloxacin / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry*; D011817:Rabbits; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013499:Surface Properties; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D011091:Polyesters; C016240:polycaprolactone; D064704:Levofloxacin