BSA-PLGA缓释微球的制备及优化条件的探索

目的以牛血清白蛋白(BSA)为模型蛋白、聚乳酸-聚乙二醇酸(PLGA)为包裹材料,探索微球的制备方法并优化制备工艺。方法采用复乳-溶剂挥发法制备BSA-PLGA微球,显微测量微球粒径,以微量BCA法测定微球的蛋白含量并计算包封率,进行体外释放,测定微球的累积释放量。探索BSA投药量、PLGA用量、PVA浓度、超声功率等因素对微球包封率、突释量的影响。结果通过正交实验设计,优化了微球的制备工艺,其优化条件是BSA投药量为10mg、PLGA用量为250mg、PVA浓度为1.5%、超声乳化功率为60周。结论通过控制不同的因素,可以得到较高包封率、较小突释、适当载药量和粒径的BSA-PLGA微球。     

Insulin loaded eudragit L100 microspheres for oral delivery: preliminary in vitro studies

Eudragit L100 microspheres were prepared using water-in-oil-in water (w/o/w) emulsion-solvent evaporation with polysorbate 20 as dispersing agent in the internal aqueous phase, and PVA/PVP as stabilizer in the external aqueous phase. Smaller internal and external aqueous phases provided higher drug encapsulation. The PVA-stabilized microspheres having maximum drug encapsulation (84.5 2.8%) released 7% insulin at pH 1.0 in 2 h. In phosphate buffer (pH 7.4), microspheres showed an initial burst release of 21% in 1 h with additional 35% release in the next 5 h. The smaller the volumes of internal and external aqueous phases, the lower the initial burst release. The release of drug from microspheres followed Higuchi kinetics. Scanning electron microscopy of PVA stabilized microspheres demonstrated spherical particles with smooth surface and laser diffractometry revealed a mean particle size (V(m)) of 59.11 30 m.     

Design of an injectable system based on bioerodible polyanhydride microspheres for sustained drug delivery

The fabrication, morphological characterization, and drug release kinetics from microspheres of three bioerodible polyanhydrides, poly[1,6-bis(p-carboxyphenoxy)hexane] (poly(CPH)), poly(sebacic anhydride) (poly(SA)), and the copolymer poly(CPH-co-SA) 50:50 (CPH:SA 50:50) is reported. The fabrication technique yields microspheres with different morphologies for each of the three polymers studied, ranging from very smooth exterior surfaces for poly(CPH) to coarse surface roughness with large pores for poly(SA). Release profiles for the model drug, p-nitroaniline are also different for each polymer. The release profile from poly(CPH) has a large initial burst and shows little additional release after 2 days. The release from poly(SA) is nearly zero-order and lasts for about 8 days. The release profile from CPH:SA 50:50 shows a relatively small burst and then exhibits zero-order release for about I month. The different release profiles are attributed to both polymer erosion rates and drug distribution characteristics of the microspheres. Tailored release profiles of a burst followed by zero-order release are obtained by appropriately combining the microspheres. This technique enables independent modulation of both the burst and the zero-order release rate by varying the number of poly(CPH) and poly(SA) microspheres respectively. Additionally, the zero-order release can be extended from about a week to a month by including CPH:SA 50:50 microspheres.     

Surface studies of coated polymer microspheres and protein release from tissue-engineered scaffolds

The controlled release of growth factors from porous, polymer scaffolds is being studied for potential use as tissue-engineered scaffolds. Biodegradable polymer microspheres were coated with a biocompatible polymer membrane to permit the incorporation of the microspheres into tissue-engineered scaffolds. Surface studies with poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) [PLGA], and poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA] were conducted. Polymer films were dip-coated onto glass slides and water contact angles were measured. The contact angles revealed an initially hydrophobic PLGA film, which became hydrophilic after PVA coating. After immersion in water, the PVA coating was removed and a hydrophobic PLGA film remained. Following optimization using these 2D contact angle studies, biodegradable PLGA microspheres were prepared, characterized, and coated with PVA. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to further characterize coated slides and microspheres. The release of the model protein bovine serum albumin from PVA-coated PLGA microspheres was studied over 8 days. The release of BSA from PVA-coated PLGA microspheres embedded in porous PLGA scaffolds over 24 days was also examined. Coating of the PLGA microspheres with PVA permitted their incorporation into tissue-engineered scaffolds and resulted in a controlled release of BSA.     

Surface studies of coated polymer microspheres and protein release from tissue-engineered scaffolds

The controlled release of growth factors from porous, polymer scaffolds is being studied for potential use as tissue-engineered scaffolds. Biodegradable polymer microspheres were coated with a biocompatible polymer membrane to permit the incorporation of the microspheres into tissueengineered scaffolds. Surface studies with poly(D,L-lactic-co-glycolic acid) [PLGA], and poly(vinyl alcohol) [PVA] were conducted. Polymer films were dip-coated onto glass slides and water contact angles were measured. The contact angles revealed an initially hydrophobic PLGA film, which became hydrophilic after PVA coating. After immersion in water, the PVA coating was removed and a hydrophobic PLGA film remained. Following optimization using these 2D contact angle studies, biodegradable PLGA microspheres were prepared, characterized, and coated with PVA. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was used to further characterize coated slides and microspheres. The release of the model protein bovine serum albumin from PVA-coated PLGA microspheres was studied over 8 days. The release of BSA from PVA-coated PLGA microspheres embedded in porous PLGA scaffolds over 24 days was also examined. Coating of the PLGA microspheres with PVA permitted their incorporation into tissue-engineered scaffolds and resulted in a controlled release of BSA.     

Mechanistic evaluation of the glucose-induced reduction in initial burst release of octreotide acetate from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres

One major obstacle for development of injectable biodegradable microspheres for controlled peptide and protein delivery is the high initial burst of drug release occurring over the first day of incubation. We describe here the significant reduction in initial burst release of a highly water-soluble model peptide, octreotide acetate, from poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres by the co-encapsulation of a small amount of glucose (e.g., 0.2%w/w), i.e., from 30+/-20% burst - glucose to 8+/-3% + glucose (mean+/-SD, n=4). This reduction is unexpected since hydrophilic additives are known to increase porosity of microspheres, causing an increase in permeability to mass transport and a higher burst. Using the double emulsion-solvent evaporation method of encapsulation, the effect of glucose on initial burst in an acetate buffer pH 4 was found to depend on polymer concentration, discontinuous phase/continuous phase ratio, and glucose content. Extensive characterization studies were performed on two microsphere batches, +/-0.2% glucose, to elucidate the mechanism of this effect. However, no significant difference was observed with respect to specific surface area, porosity, internal and external morphology and drug distribution. Continuous monitoring of the first 24-h release of octreotide acetate from these two batches disclosed that even though their starting release rates were close, the microspheres + glucose exhibited a much lower release rate between 0.2 and 24h compared to those - glucose. The microspheres + glucose showed a denser periphery and a reduced water uptake at the end of 24-h release, indicating decreased permeability. However, this effect at times was offset as glucose content was further increased to 1%, causing an increase in surface area and porosity. In summary, we conclude that the effect of glucose on initial burst are determined by two factors: (1) increased initial burst due to increased osmotic pressure during encapsulation and drug release, and (2) decreased initial burst due to decreased permeability of microspheres.     

Development of biodegradable poly(propylene fumarate)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) blend microspheres. II. Controlled drug release and microsphere degradation

This article describes the effects of six processing parameters on the release kinetics of a model drug Texas red dextran (TRD) from poly(propylene fumarate)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PPF/PLGA) blend microspheres as well as the degradation of these microspheres. The microspheres were fabricated using a double emulsion-solvent extraction technique in which the following six parameters were varied: PPF/PLGA ratio, polymer viscosity, vortex speed during emulsification, amount of internal aqueous phase, use of poly(vinyl alcohol) in the internal aqueous phase, and poly(vinyl alcohol) concentration in the external aqueous phase. We have previously characterized these microspheres in terms of microsphere morphology, size distribution, and TRD entrapment efficiency. In this work, the TRD release profiles in phosphate-buffered saline were determined and all formulations showed an initial burst release in the first 2 days followed by a decreased sustained release over a 38-day period. The initial burst release varied from 5.1 (+/-1.1) to 67.7 (+/-3.4)% of the entrapped TRD, and was affected most by the viscosity of the polymer solution used for microsphere fabrication. The sustained release between day 2 and day 38 ranged from 7.9 (+/-0.8) to 27.2 (+/-3.1)% of the entrapped TRD. During 11 weeks of in vitro degradation, the mass of the microspheres remained relatively constant for the first 3 weeks after which it decreased dramatically, whereas the molecular weight of the polymers decreased immediately upon placement in phosphate-buffered saline. Increasing the PPF content in the PPF/PLGA blend resulted in slower microsphere degradation. Overall, this study provides further understanding of the effects of various processing parameters on the release kinetics from PPF/PLGA blend microspheres thus allowing modulation of drug release to achieve a wide spectrum of release profiles.     

Development of biodegradable poly(propylene fumarate)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) blend microspheres. I. Preparation and characterization

We developed poly(propylene fumarate)/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PPF/PLGA) blend microspheres and investigated the effects of various processing parameters on the characteristics of these microspheres. The advantage of these blend microspheres is that the carbon-carbon double bonds along the PPF backbone could be used for their immobilization in a PPF scaffold. Microspheres containing the model drug Texas red dextran were fabricated using a double emulsion-solvent extraction technique. The effects of the following six processing parameters on the microsphere characteristics were investigated: PPF/PLGA ratio, polymer viscosity, vortex speed during emulsification, amount of internal aqueous phase, use of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) in the internal aqueous phase, and PVA concentration in the external aqueous phase. Our results showed that the microsphere surface morphology was affected most by the viscosity of the polymer solution. Microspheres fabricated with a kinematic viscosity of 39 centistokes had a smooth, nonporous surface. In most microsphere formulations, the model drug was dispersed uniformly in the polymer matrix. For all fabricated formulations, the average microsphere diameter ranged between 19.0 and 76.9 microm. The external PVA concentration and vortex speed had most effect on the size distribution. Entrapment efficiencies varied from 60 to 98% and were most affected by the amount of internal aqueous phase, vortex speed, and polymer viscosity. Overall, we demonstrated the ability to fabricate PPF/PLGA blend microspheres with similar surface morphology, entrapment efficiency, and size distribution as conventional PLGA microspheres.     

Chitin/PLGA blend microspheres as a biodegradable drug delivery system: a new delivery system for protein

Novel chitin/PLGAs and chitin/PLA based microspheres were developed for the delivery of protein. These biodegradable microspheres were prepared by polymers blending and wet phase-inversion methods. The parameters such as selected non-solvents, temperature of water and ratio of polylactide to polyglycolide were adjusted to improve thermodynamic compatibility of individual polymer (chitin and PLGAs or chitin/PLA), which affects the hydration and degradation properties of the blend microspheres. Triphasic pattern of drug release model is observed from the release of protein from the chitin/PLGAs and chitin/PLA microspheres: the initially fast release (the first phase), the following slow release (the second phase) and the second burst release (the third phase). Formulations of the blends, which are based on the balance among the hydration rate of the chitin phase and degradation of chitin/PLA and PLGA phase, can lead to a controllable release of bovine serum albumin (BSA). In conclusion, such a chitin/PLGA 50/50 microsphere is novel and interesting, and may be used as a protein delivery system.     

PLGA microsphere/calcium phosphate cement composites for tissue engineering: in vitro release and degradation characteristics

Bone cements with biodegradable poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres have already been proven to provide a macroporous calcium phosphate cement (CPC) during in situ microsphere degradation. Furthermore, in vitro/in vivo release studies with these PLGA microsphere/CPC composites (PLGA/CPCs) showed a sustained release of osteo-inductive growth factor when drug was distributed inside/onto the microspheres. The goal of this study was to elucidate the mechanism behind drug release from PLGA/CPC. For this, in vitro release and degradation characteristics of a low-molecular-weight PLGA/CPC (M(w) = 5 kg/mol) were determined using bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein. Two loading mechanisms were applied; BSA was either adsorbed onto the microspheres or incorporated inside the microspheres during double-emulsion. BSA release from PLGA microspheres and CPC was also measured and used as reference. Results show fast degrading polymer microspheres which produced a macroporous scaffold within 4 weeks, but also showed a concomitant release of acidic degradation products. BSA release from the PLGA/CPC was similar to the CPC samples and showed a pattern consisting of a small initial release, followed by a period of almost no sustained release. Separate PLGA microspheres exhibited a high burst release and release efficiency that was higher with the adsorbed samples. Combining degradation and release data we can conclude that for the PLGA/CPC samples BSA re-adsorbed to the cement surface after being released from the microspheres, which was mediated by the pH decrease during microsphere degradation.     

乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物缓控释微球的制备及突释成因与影响因素

背景：乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物是一种生物可降解高分子材料,以乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物为原料制备的载药微球和纳米粒既可提高药物的稳定性,又能实现缓释、控释和靶向释放。 目的：分析乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物缓控释微球的制备方法以及突释的成因、影响因素和改进方法。 方法：应用计算机检索1990/2010中国期刊全文数据库和PubMed数据库与乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物缓控释微球的制备及突释联系紧密的文章。 结果与结论：目前乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物缓释微球制备方法主要有单凝聚法、乳化-固化法、喷雾干燥法。造成其突释的原因首先是药物分子和聚合物分子之间的相互作用太弱,导致药物很容易从微球进入释放递质中,其次是在微球释放初期,药物从微球中的孔洞和缝隙中释放出来导致突释。影响突释程度的具体因素有乳酸-羟基乙酸共聚物的相对分子质量、浓度、微球载药量、主药理化性质、微球制备方法及制备参数等。虽然国内外对突释机制以及控制突释措施的研究都还处于初步阶段,通过对各影响因素加以适当优化与控制,可在一定程度上减少微球的突释率,突释问题应该能够得到解决和控制。     

Characterization of polymeric poly(epsilon-caprolactone) injectable implant delivery system for the controlled delivery of contraceptive steroids

Contraceptive steroids levonorgestrel (LNG) and ethinyl estradiol (EE) have been encapsulated with poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) microspheres using a w / o /w double emulsion method. The microspheres prepared were smooth and spherical, with a mean size from 8-25 microm. In vitro release profiles of microspheres showed a trend of increasing initially at the first week, and thereafter the release was sustained. At the end of the seventh week LNG/EE from 1:5 and 1:10 PCL microspheres were 60 and 48%, 52 and 46%, respectively. An in vitro degradation study shows that at the 20th week the microspheres maintained the surface integrity. The PCL microspheres showed a triphasic in vivo release profile with an initial burst effect due to the release of the steroid adsorbed on the microsphere surface, a second sustained release phase due to the steroid diffusion through the pores or channels formed in the polymer matrix, and third phase due to polymer bioerodible. Histological examination of PCL microspheres injected intramuscularly into thigh muscle of a rat showed a minimal inflammatory reaction demonstrating that contraceptive steroid-loaded microspheres were biocompatible. The level of inflammatory cytokines determined by immunostaining for IL-1alpha, the tissue response to formulations at the first week was considered mild, whereas at the end of the 20th week the inflammatory response ceased. Thus, this study helped us to evaluate the feasibility of using these microspheres as a long-acting biodegradable drug delivery system for contraceptive steroids.     

Synthesis, characterization, biodegradation, and drug delivery application of biodegradable lactic/glycolic acid polymers: Part III. Drug delivery application

Lactic/glycolic acid polymers (PLGA) are widely used for drug delivery systems. The microsphere formulation is the most interesting dosage form of the PLGA-based controlled release devices. In this study, the previously reported PLGA were used to prepare drug-containing microspheres. Progesterone was used as a model drug. The progesterone microspheres were prepared from PLGA having varied compositions and varied molecular weight. The microscopic characterization shows that the microspheres are spherical, nonaggregated particles. The progesterone-containing PLGA microspheres possess a Gaussian size distribution, having average size from 70-134 microm. A solvent extraction method was employed to prepare the microspheres. The microencapsulation method used in this study has high drug encapsulation efficiency. The progesterone release from the PLGA microspheres and the factors affecting the drug release were studied. The release of progesterone from the PLGA microspheres is affected by the properties of the polymer used. The drug release is more rapid from the microspheres prepared using the PLGA having higher fraction of glycolic acid moiety. The drug release from the microspheres composed of higher molecular weight PLGA is faster. The drug content in microspheres also has an effect on the drug release. Higher progesterone content in microspheres yields a quicker initial burst release of the drug.     

Hydrolytic degradation and drug release properties of ganciclovir-loaded biodegradable microspheres

The in vitro hydrolytic degradation of ganciclovir (GCV)-loaded biodegradable microspheres of poly(D,L-lactide) and poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) polymers were studied. Microspheres of size 120+/-40 microm were prepared using an oil-in-water emulsification/solvent evaporation technique. The effects of polymer molecular weight, lactide (LA) to glycolide (GA) ratio and GCV payload on the degradation and drug release profiles were investigated in vitro in phosphate-buffered solution (pH 7.0) at 37 degrees C. GCV accelerated the hydrolysis process of the low (5-7 wt.%) GCV-loaded microspheres due to a basic catalytic effect, giving a larger degradation rate, k', compared with blank and high (18-20 wt.%) GCV-loaded microspheres. In the high GCV-loaded microspheres, hydrolysis of the polymer backbone occurred with little and/or no autocatalytic effect, resulting in a smaller k' compared with low GCV-loaded microspheres. This was due to pores and microchannels created at the surface following the initial burst release, which increased water uptake and the dissolution and diffusion of GCV and degradation products from the matrix. The rate of hydrolytic degradation was also affected by the LA to GA ratio. For polymers of similar LA to GA ratio, those with a higher degree of blockiness had faster hydrolytic degradation rates irrespective of the initial molecular weight. The release profile had a biphasic pattern, which closely followed the degradation profile of the polymer. The time taken for the complete release of GCV was controlled by the diffusion phase and was dependent on the hydrolytic degradation rate of the polymers.     

Dexamethasone loaded bioresorbable films used in medical support devices: structure, degradation, crystallinity and drug release

Bioresorbable polymer films containing dexamethasone (DM) were prepared using a solution processing technique. Investigation of the films focused on cumulative DM release as affected by film morphology (drug location/dispersion in the film) and degradation processes. Two film structures were studied: A-type, a polymer film with large drug crystals located on the film’s surface, and B-type, a polymer film with small drug particles and crystals distributed within the bulk. The effect of the polymer’s degree of crystallinity on the drug release profile was also studied. Prototypical applications of these films are biodegradable medical support devices which combine mechanical support with drug release. In most of our studied systems the drug release profile from the film is determined mainly by both drug location/dispersion in the film and the polymer’s weight loss rate. All release profiles from A-type films exhibited a burst effect of approximately 30%, accompanied by a second release phase at a constant rate, whereas the release profiles from B-type films were determined mainly by the degradation profile of the host polymer, and did not exhibit any burst effect. A high degree of crystallinity is important for the current application, since good mechanical properties are required. This contributes to slower drug release rates, mainly at relatively low weight losses, whereas at high weight losses, where a porous structure is created, the crystallinity almost does not affect the rate of drug release. The shape of the porous structure that develops with degradation also affects the drug release profile from the B-type films.     

Fabrication of microspheres using blends of poly(ethylene adipate) and poly(ethylene adipate) / poly(hydroxybutyrate-hydroxyvalerate) with poly(caprolactone): Incorporation and release of bovine serum albumin

Spherical microspheres composed of polymer blends 80: 20 PEAD/PCL II and 40:40: 20 PEAD/P(HB-HV)/PCL II containing a range of BSA loadings have been fabricated using a single emulsion technique with solvent evaporation. 80: 20 PEAD/PCL II microspheres had smooth surfaces while 40:40:20 PEAD/P(HB-HV)/PCL II microspheres consisted of a mixture of smooth surfaced, microporous and macroporous microsphere fractions. Irrespective of fabrication polymer, microspheres were produced in high yield (> 75%) and BSA incorporation had no significant effect on microsphere size distribution which ranged from 0.6 to 5 μm and from 2.1 to 50 μm for 80: 20 PEAD/PCL II and 40:40: 20 PEAD/P(HB-HV)/PCL II microspheres, respectively. The loss of BSA by partitioning into the aqueous phase resulted in low encapsulation efficiencies (< 14.5%). BSA release increased significantly with theoretical percentage loading but the relationship could not be confirmed when the total cumulative release of BSA was expressed as a percentage of the actual total BSA incorporated. Significant BSA release could be detected for up to 26 days.     

The release profiles and bioactivity of parathyroid hormone from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) microspheres

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) microspheres containing bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human parathyroid hormone (PTH)(1-34) were prepared using a double emulsion method with high encapsulation efficiency and controlled particle sizes. The microspheres were characterized with regard to their surface morphology, size, protein loading, degradation and release kinetics, and in vitro and in vivo assessments of biological activity of released PTH. PLGA5050 microspheres degraded rapidly after a 3-week lag time and were degraded completely within 4 months. In vitro BSA release kinetics from PLGA5050 microspheres were characterized by a burst effect followed by a slow release phase within 1-7 weeks and a second burst release at 8 weeks, which was consistent with the degradation study. The PTH incorporated PLGA5050 microspheres released detectable PTH in the initial 24h, and the released PTH was biologically active as evidenced by the stimulated release of cAMP from ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells as well as increased serum calcium levels when injected subcutaneously into mice. Both in vitro and in vivo assays demonstrated that the bioactivity of PTH was maintained largely during the fabrication of PLGA microspheres and upon release. These studies illustrate the feasibility of achieving local delivery of PTH to induce a biologically active response in bone by a microsphere encapsulation technique.     

Effect of ganciclovir on the hydrolytic degradation of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) microspheres

Ganciclovir (GCV)-loaded poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) microspheres, 125 +/- 11 mum in diameter, are produced using the emulsification/solvent evaporation technique. The release rate of the drug is studied for 20 weeks in a phosphate-buffered solution of pH 7 at 37 degrees C. The release of the drug shows a triphasic release pattern, i.e., an initial burst, a diffusive phase, and a second burst. The initial burst occurs within the first 2 days of immersion. After the burst, the release is by diffusion for up to 13 weeks, followed by another burst release, which signals the onset of bulk degradation of the PLGA polymer. The presence of GCV molecules decreases the hydrolytic rate of PLGA degradation. Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and ultraviolet (UV) spectroscopy are used to assess the hydrolytic degradation and drug release rate of the microspheres.     

Biodegradable and injectable paclitaxel-loaded poly(ester amide)s microspheres: fabrication and characterization

Novel biodegradable submicron microspheres of amino acid based poly(ester amide)s (PEAs) were fabricated by an oil-in-water (O/W) emulsion/solvent evaporation technique and their morphology and drug loading efficiency were examined. PEAs microspheres of mean diameter <1 microm with very narrow size distribution were obtained at a fair yield about 80%. The effects of PEA polymer concentration, polyvinyl alcohol emulsifier concentration, and the homogenizer speed on the size and morphology of final PEA microspheres were examined by analyzing their SEM images. It is found that a low PEA concentration, a high PVA concentration, and a high homogenizer speed are the optimal conditions for obtaining smaller microspheres. The biodegradation behaviors of these PEA microspheres at 37 degrees C were investigated as a function of enzyme (alpha-chymotrypsin) concentration and incubation time. The data showed similar surface erosion degradation mechanism as PEA polymers reported previously. Paclitaxel loaded PEA microspheres with high encapsulation efficiency were obtained without significantly affecting their size and surface morphology. The high drug loading efficiency close to 100% suggested that PEA microspheres may have the potential for the injection administration of highly hydrophobic anticancer drugs.     

Biodegradable polymer-silica xerogel composite microspheres for controlled release of gentamicin

Single and double layered composite microspheres were prepared by encapsulating gentamicin-loaded silica xerogels with biodegradable PLGA polymers (poly(DL-lactide-co-glycolide)). The in vitro drug release properties of both the composite microspheres were investigated. The single layered composite microspheres showed a high initial burst, followed by two sustained release stages lasting for approximately 6 weeks. The two sustained release stages of the single layered composite microspheres could be attributed to the swelling and bulk erosion of the polymer encapsulations, respectively. In comparison with the single layered composite microspheres, the double layered composite microspheres realized a much reduced initial burst together with three sustained release stages. The whole release period of the double layered composite microspheres could last more than 9 weeks. These distinct behaviors make the double layered composite microspheres promising as a new drug release material for localized drug delivery applications.