An exploratory research on antitumor effect of drug-eluting slow-releasing electrospinning membranes

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the long-term inhibition of malignant biliary tumor growth using paclitaxel (PTX)-covered polycaprolactone (PCL) electrospun membranes. METHODS: A mixture of PCL, a material used to fabricate polymer stents, and PTX, a widely used chemotherapeutic agent, was synthesized by electrospinning. After preparing the drug-eluting membrane, drug release and fiber degradation were assessed in vitro under different pH conditions. The QBC939 cholangiocarcinoma cell line was cultured to establish a xenograft nude mouse model. Finally, the drug-eluting membrane was implanted into the mouse model, and the relative tumor inhibition rate was evaluated. RESULTS: A new PTX-loaded PCL electrospun fiber membrane was developed. The drug release rate was about 20–40% in the 32-day release cycle, and the release quantity was between 20 and 170 mg. As pH decreased, the release rate increased significantly. The degradation rate of the fiber membranes in vitro was approximately 20–48%, and was positively correlated with the drug loading rate. In animal experiments, the growth of tumors in mice was suppressed using drug-eluting membranes. CONCLUSION: The PTX-loaded PCL electrospun fiber membrane enhanced the long-term drug release and exhibited excellent antitumor effects in vivo.