1. 3D bioprinted scaffolds for diabetic wound-healing applications
- Author
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Katie Glover, Essyrose Mathew, Giulia Pitzanti, Erin Magee, and Dimitrios A. Lamprou
- Subjects
SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being ,scaffolds ,diabetes mellitus ,drug delivery ,implants ,Pharmaceutical Science ,wound healing ,Diabetic foot ulcer ,bioprinting ,additive manufacturing - Abstract
The treatment strategy required for the effective healing of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) is a complex process that is requiring several combined therapeutic approaches. As a result, there is a significant clinical and economic burden associated in treating DFU. Furthermore, these treatments are often unsuccessful, commonly resulting in lower-limb amputation. The use of drug-loaded scaffolds to treat DFU has previously been investigated using electrospinning and fused deposition modelling (FDM) 3D printing techniques; however, the rapidly evolving field of bioprinting is creating new opportunities for innovation within this research area. In this study, 3D-bioprinted scaffolds with different designs have been fabricated for the delivery of an antibiotic (levoflocixin) to DFU. The scaffolds were fully characterised by a variety of techniques (e.g. SEM, DSC/TGA, FTIR, and mechanical characterisation), demonstrating excellent mechanical properties and providing sustained drug release for 4 weeks. This proof of concept study demonstrates the innovative potential of bioprinting technologies in fabrication of antibiotic scaffolds for the treatment of DFU. Graphical abstract
- Published
- 2022
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