| dc.description.abstract | Long-term, sustained drug release utilizing an injectable delivery vehicle in localized, chronic diseases is a therapeutic strategy with the potential to extend the action of drugs, reduce drug off-target side effects, and improve patient compliance/outcomes. Polymeric microparticles (MPs) are one such delivery strategy in which drugs are encapsulated and immobilized in a polymer matrix. Bulk emulsion methods of generating MPs, in which a solubilized polymer is added to a separate, immiscible phase, forming droplets that harden into particles when the solvent is removed, often results in high polydispersity and low drug loading efficiency. To address these issues, droplet microfluidics was employed to produce monodisperse polymeric microparticles. Traditional microfluidic devices are made of an elastomeric polymer, polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), however many solvents required to solubilize more intelligently responsive polymers are incompatible with this material. Therefore, we developed a high-fidelity glass etching method to microfabricate devices compatible with a variety of solvents, allowing for the generation of MPs with improved quality metrics using polymers of varying crystallinities and solubilities, including the clinical standard poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), as well as antioxidant scavenging polysulfide polymers. | |
