Silk microspheres for encapsulation and controlled release
AssigneeTrustees of Tufts College
InventorsDavid L. Kaplan, Xiaoqin Wang
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Abstract
A method was developed to prepare silk fibroin microspheres using lipid vesicles as templates to efficiently load therapeutic agents in active form for controlled release. The lipids are subsequently removed through the use of a dehydration agent, such as methanol or sodium chloride, resulting in β-sheet structure dominant silk microsphere structures having about 2 μm in diameter. The therapeutic agent can be entrapped in the silk microspheres and used in pharmaceutical formulations for controlled-release treatments.
Claims29
A composition comprising a biomaterial encapsulated in crosslinked silk fibroin microspheres, wherein the microspheres contain lipid components.
A method of making silk fibroin microspheres, comprising:
- a. mixing a silk fibroin solution with lipid molecules in a pre-determined ratio, wherein the lipid molecules do not pre-form a liposome or a vesicle prior to the mixing;
- and
- b. lyophilizing the mixture;
- thereby forming silk fibroin microspheres.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.