Electrospun poly(ester-carbonate)/poly(carbonate-urethane) membranes with controlled drug release for potential use in abdominal surgery

Surgical meshes and patches used in abdominal surgery, despite their effectiveness, have a number of disadvantages that may lead to complications. This is due to the properties of the materials used for their construction and the structure of the implant itself. This paper presents an attempt to obtain an implant material, that could be used in surgery, combining the advantages of biodegradable and non-degradable polymers, while eliminating their weaknesses, additionally providing the possibility of using local pharmacotherapy. For this purpose a poly(caprolactone-co-trimethylene carbonate) blend with a 10% addition of poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCLTMC:PCL) was utilized as a biodegradable drug carrier. Using a dual-jet electrospinning method, the blend was interlaced with non-degradable poly(carbonate-urethane) (PCU) nanofibers of varying hydrophilicity, forming semi-fibrous membranes. The primary aim of the research was to obtain control over drugs release kinetics simultaneously maintaining stable mechanical properties of membranes during incubation in vitro. These objectives were achieved through the use of a specific gradient structure design, enriched with a drug-releasing fraction at the surface and PCU in the core. It was observed that the hydrophilicity of membranes influenced the mechanisms and rate of the diffusion of water to the bulk and the drugs along with degradation by-products to the incubation medium. Additionally, the gradient structure enabled control over the permeation of low-molecular-weight model compound from one side of the membrane to the other. The results also demonstrated that the number of fibroblasts adsorbed on the membrane surface depended primarily on its morphology and hydrophilicity, suggesting the potential to achieve favourable integration with tissues. The developed material exhibits significant potential for applications in abdominal surgery.