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Decoding the biocompatibility of PLGA: Why is it so friendly to the human body?
In the context of the rapid advancement of modern medical technology, PLGA (polylactic acid-polyglyoxalic acid copolymer) has attracted more and more attention. As a biomaterial approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), PLGA is widely used in medical devices and drug delivery systems due to its good biocompatibility and biodegradability.
PLGA composed of polylactic acid and polyoxalic acid has excellent biocompatibility, mainly because its final degradation products are harmless to the human body.
PLGA is formed by ring-opening copolymerization of cyclic dimers of lactic acid and oxalic acid. The flexibility of this synthesis process allows PLGA to be made into different random or block copolymers, giving it additional properties. Depending on the monomer ratio used, for example PLGA 75:25, the copolymer contains 75% lactic acid and 25% oxalic acid. This precise formulation allows the properties of PLGA to be optimized in different applications.
Once PLGA is introduced into the human body, it will gradually degrade and eventually be converted into lactic acid and oxalic acid, which are normal products of various metabolic processes in the human body. Lactic acid and oxalic acid are metabolized into carbon dioxide and water in the tricarboxylic acid cycle and excreted through cellular respiration and digestive systems. This degradation method reduces the risk of accumulation in the body and further improves the biocompatibility of PLGA.
The biocompatibility of PLGA comes not only from the harmlessness of its degradation products, but also from its degradation process in the body.
However, it is worth noting that the degradation of PLGA will reduce the pH value of the surrounding environment, which may cause an autocatalytic effect of the local acidic environment in some cases, further affecting the immune response. Although this reaction is usually controllable, in some high-concentration polymer applications, a certain immune reaction may still occur, which needs to be carefully considered in application.
Biodegradability of PLGA
The biodegradability of PLGA paves the way for its wide application in the medical field. PLGA materials can undergo volumetric degradation of the entire polymer, especially at a ratio of 75:25 lactic acid and oxalic acid, and the formed microspheres can be uniformly degraded. This means that the entire polymer degrades homogeneously with the assistance of moisture, a feature that is particularly important in drug release and in vivo release control.
Another application of PLGA is in injectable drugs like Lupron Depot, which can sustain the release of drugs for long-term treatment. In this process, PLGA is mixed with a water-miscible organic solvent. When it enters the body, it solidifies because it is insoluble in water, gradually releasing the required drug to achieve a sustained release effect.
Practical applications of PLGA
Specific PLGA application examples include:
- Powerbone's Synthetic Barrier Membrane: This is an absorbable synthetic membrane used as a replacement for dental implants that provides good biocompatibility and mechanical properties.
- Lupron Depot: This is a drug delivery device for the treatment of prostate cancer. PLGA plays a key role in it, continuously releasing drugs in the body through microparticles.
- Protective delivery: For example, PLGA is used as an antibiotic concentrate to prevent bacterial infections after brain surgery, one of which is vancomycin.
All in all, PLGA's biocompatibility, biodegradability and diverse properties in practical applications make it an indispensable material in today's biomedical field. However, this also caused us to think: in the continuous innovation of medical technologies, how can we fully utilize the potential of PLGA to improve our health and quality of life?
