(A-40) Accelerating Wound Healing of Diabetic Foot Ulcers Using Poly(Lactic-Co-Glycolic Acid) Scaffolds

Introduction:: Diabetic foot ulcers are a major health concern, among patients with Diabetes. Untreated ulcers have an increased risk of infection that can lead to foot and limb amputation, and mortality. There is an urgent need for effective treatments to improve healing outcomes and reduce the risk of complications associated with these ulcers. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), otherwise known as PLGA, is a synthetic co-polymer that is utilized in the medical field for its advantageous attributes, such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, and controlled drug delivery. These attributes render PLGA-based scaffolds a promising solution to provide a suitable environment for the regeneration of affected tissue. This study seeks to evaluate the potential use of PLGA as a scaffold material that could be placed inside diabetic foot ulcers to aid in their healing.

Materials and Methods:: Three-dimensional scaffolds were made on a MakerBot Method X 3D printer using PLGA filament that had a ratio of 60:40 lactic acid to glycolic acid. The mechanical properties of these scaffolds were evaluated using compression tests, which involved applying a constant force to the polymer and quantifying its resistance to deformation until fracture. To ascertain the behavior of the scaffolds in a physiological aqueous environment, swelling and degradation experiments were conducted. To do this, scaffolds were placed in phosphate buffed saline (PBS) and incubated at 37 degrees Celsius. Every day the PBS was exchanged for fresh solution and the scaffolds were weighed. Finally, biocompatibility was assessed through cell viability done on MG-63 human cells, to quantify the impact of the polymer on living cells. The viability of cells exposed to PLGA scaffolds was compared to cells not exposed to material.

Results, Conclusions, and Discussions:: The printed PLGA scaffolds were one centimeter in width and length and 0.5 cm tall with small slits. The average maximum compression strength of these scaffolds was 3.09 kN, which is approximately 700 pounds of force. Because this is more than three times the average body weight of an adult, the scaffolds should be strong enough to support the weight of the patient. PLGA scaffolds reached peak swelling 15 days after the start of the experiment and were completely degraded within 18 days. Diabetic foot ulcers can take take three months to heal and require frequent checks by a medical professional. A scaffold that degrades in 15-18 days could be beneficial to the patient because it would be completely degraded at the patient's check up where the extent of the ulcer's healing would the assessed and if needed a new, smaller scaffold could be printed and placed in the ulcer. The MTS assay indicated that viability of cells exposed to the PLGA scaffolds was not significantly different from cells that were not exposed to the material. Therefore the scaffolds appear to be biocompatible. Because the PLGA scaffolds are strong enough to withstand body weight, degrade in a clinically relevant timeframe and are compatible with human tissue, they are suitable for use as a scaffold to aid in the healing of diabetic foot ulcers.

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