PLGA Nanofiber

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) is a biodegradable and biocompatible copolymer which is FDA approved for use in therapeutic devices. 

 

The Tg for the copolymers are between 40–60 °C, above the physiological temperature of 37 °C; the copolymers are thus glassy in nature and exhibit a fairly rigid chain structure. 

 

PLGA degrades by hydrolysis of its ester linkages in the presence of water, and has a bulk degradation of 1-4 months.  The polymer degradation time can be tailored by altering ratios of lactide-glycolide chain components and molecular weight, making PLGA a highly suitable and sought after material for a variety of biomedical devices and applications.  PLGA undergoes hydrolysis in the body to produce the original monomers, lactic acid and glycolic acid, which are common by-products in the body’s natural metabolic pathways. 

 

SNC has successfully incorporated PLGA into implantable tissue scaffolds, multilayered cell culture plate inserts for 3D cell culture, and injectable nanofibrous material with additives for controlled drug release applications.