Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)s (PLGA) is a biodegradable polymer, and its degradation is a chemical process involving the scission of the polymer backbone and the formation of monomers and oligomers. In this process, the number of terminal carboxyl groups continues to increase, and the degradation rate is accelerated, resulting in the phenomenon of degradation autocatalysis, resulting in a decrease in relative molecular weight, the formation of water-soluble fragments, and further hydrolysis into biocompatible endogenous monomers Lactic and glycolic acids, which are eventually metabolized into energy, carbon dioxide, and water. During this process, the diffusion rate of water in the polymer is faster than the hydrolysis rate of the ester bond. This will form a porous erosion structure on the formulation, and the drug embedded in the polymer will be released into the environment through the pore structure, thereby achieving the effect of slow and controlled release. Therefore, PLGA has been widely used in the sustained and controlled release formulations of various drugs due to its excellent properties, and the release behavior of the drug mainly depends on the degradation behavior of the polymer. The biodegradation of PLGA is affected by many factors, including framework factors, environmental factors and formulation factors. Among them, the skeleton factor plays a key role, including the ratio of PLA to PGA, relative molecular mass, crystallinity, and the type of drug. It is easy to control and control in the production process. Increasing the proportion of PLA or increasing the relative molecular mass can help to slow down the degradation of PLGA and prolong the sustained and controlled release time of the drug. In addition, environmental factors such as pH value, temperature, etc. and formulation factors also have a certain influence on the degradation of polymers. Therefore, in the process of drug research and development of sustained-release preparations, the degradation rate of PLGA can be affected by regulating the above-mentioned related factors, and the release behavior of the drug can be controlled to meet different clinical needs.
CD Bioparticles offers poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)s of various molecular weights for drug discovery research. In addition, we also offer poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)s modified with acid, amine, benzyl, biotin, cholesterol, ester, histidine methyl ester, hydrazide, hydroxyl, maleimide, methacrylate, NHS and thiol groups. Contact us to learn how poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid)s can help your work.
