Polymers with bioactive agents

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for loading a polymer with one or more bioactive agents, using a wet spinning technique. The invention further relates to a polymer loaded with one or more bioactive agents, obtainable by said process and to the use thereof as a carrier for controlled drug release or as scaffold for tissue engineering.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for preparing a polymer loaded with one or more bioactive agents comprising the steps of: 
 a) providing a solution of the polymer in a suitable first solvent;    b) adding an aqueous solution of the bioactive agent to the polymer solution to obtain a water-in-oil emulsion;    c) immersing the water-in-oil emulsion in a suitable second solvent by injecting the emulsion through a nozzle into the second solvent;    d) allowing the first solvent to migrate into the second solvent to obtain a solid, fibrous polymer loaded with the bioactive agent.    
     
     
         2 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is biocompatible and biodegradable.  
     
     
         3 . A process according to  claim 2 , wherein the polymer is an amphiphilic block copolymer, comprising hydrophilic blocks and hydrophobic blocks.  
     
     
         4 . A process according to  claim 3 , wherein the polymer is a copolymer of a polyalkylene glycol and an aromatic ester.  
     
     
         5 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the bioactive agent is chosen from the group of antimicrobial agents, such as antibacterial and anti-fungal agents, anti-viral agents, anti-tumor agents, immunogenic agents, lipids, lipopolysaccharides, hormones and growth factors.  
     
     
         6 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the bioactive agent is chosen from the group of peptides, oligopeptides, polypeptides and proteins.  
     
     
         7 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the first solvent is immiscible with water and miscible with the second solvent, and wherein the polymer is essentially insoluble in the second solvent.  
     
     
         8 . A process according to  claim 7 , wherein the first solvent has a greater solubility in the second solvent when the polymer is dissolved in the first solvent.  
     
     
         9 . A process according to  claim 1 , wherein the water-in-oil emulsion is immersed into the second solvent by injecting through a syringe or an extruder.  
     
     
         10 . A bioactive agent loaded polymer obtainable by the method of  claim 1 .  
     
     
         11 . A bioactive agent loaded polymer obtainable by a process according to  claim 9 .  
     
     
         12 . A bioactive agent loaded polymer according to  claim 10  wherein said bioactive agent is a peptide, oligopeptide, polypeptide or protein.  
     
     
         13 . A process for bonding fibers according to  claim 1  to form a fibrous mesh, wherein the fibers are collected and are bonded together by use of a suitable solvent mixture.  
     
     
         14 . A fibrous mesh obtainable by a process according to  claim 13 .  
     
     
         15 . The use of a bioactive agent loaded polymer, according to  claim 10 , as a carrier for controlled drug release or as a scaffold for tissue engineering.  
     
     
         16 . The use of a fibrous mesh according to  claim 14  as a carrier for controlled drug release or as a scaffold for tissue engineering.