Design and characterisation of doxorubicin-releasing chitosan microspheres for anti-cancer chemoembolisation

The aims of this study were to design and characterise doxorubicin-loaded chitosan microspheres for anti-cancer chemoembolisation. Doxorubicin-loaded chitosan microspheres were prepared by emulsification and cross-linking methods. Doxorubicinchitosan solution was initially complexed with tripolyphosphate (TPP) to improve drug loading capabilities. Doxorubicin-loaded chitosan microspheres were highly spherical and had approximately diameters of 130160m in size. Drug loading amount and loading efficiency were in the range 3.74.0 and 68.585.8, respectively, and affected by TPP concentration, drug levels and cross-linking time. Doxorubicin release was affected by TPP complexation, cross-linking time and release medium. Especially, lysozyme in release media considerably increased drug release. Synergistic anti-cancer activities of doxorubicin-releasing chitosan microspheres were confirmed to VX2 cells in the rabbit auricle model compared with blank microspheres. Doxorubicin-loaded chitosan microspheres can efficiently be prepared by TPP gelation and cross-linking method and developed as multifunctional anti-cancer embolic material.