Production of uniform polymeric microspheres for liver tissue engineering

Abstract

Biodegradable scaffolds have huge potential in the biomedical industry as they can be used for various purposes; delivery vehicles for molecules, space fillers, tissue engineering, and even wound healing. These scaffolds are biocompatible and do not trigger any immunological response when introduced into the host. The polymeric microspheres that are used to construct part of the biodegradable scaffolds also have to be biocompatible, and the polymer has to have enough mechanical integrity to withstand stresses that may be exerted on the scaffold during application. Various synthesis methods have been investigated to determine which is the most effective, with microfluidic being listed as the most ideal method thus far. Microfluidic coupled with a suitable polymer that is biodegradable and biocompatible, may be the next milestone in biodegradable scaffolds. This report compares four synthesis methods using polycaprolactone as the starting polymer; single emulsion using IKA stirrer, homogenized emulsion, single pump microfluidic, double pump microfluidic.