A simple and versatile method for microencapsulation of anti-epileptic drugs for focal therapy of epilepsy

Abstract

Nearly 30% of epilepsy cases cannot be adequately controlled with current medical treatments. The reasons for this are still not well understood, but there is a significant body of evidence pointing to the blood–brain barrier. Resective surgery can provide an alternative method of epilepsy control; however this treatment option is not suitable for most epilepsy sufferers. Local drug delivery through micro-injection to or implantation into the brain provides an innovative approach to bypass the blood–brain barrier for epilepsy treatment. In order to develop effective local delivery systems for anti-epilepsy drug (AED), we have prepared a variety of core–shell microcapsules via electrojetting, where a more hydrophobic polymer shell acts as a physical barrier to control the rate of drug release from the drug-loaded polymeric core. The resulting microcapsules demonstrate highly drug encapsulation efficiency, narrow size distribution and uniform morphology. Moreover, the release rate of AED can be modulated by controlling the morphologies of the core–shell microcapsules.