Thermoplastic Elastomer Fiber Mats As Local Drug Delivery Vehicles: Investigation of the Cytotoxicity of Fiber Mats

                                   Thermoplastic Elastomer Fiber Mats as Local Drug Delivery Vehicles:

Investigation of the Cytotoxicity of Fiber Mats

ANDREW MCCLAIN¹, BRUNO PAVIA³, ADITYA JINDAL¹,

ATTILA GERGELY¹, MELISSA CAMMASOLA³, JUDIT E. PUSKAS^{1, 2}

¹The University of Akron, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Akron, OH.

²The University of Akron, Department of Polymer Science, Akron, OH.

³Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Molecular Aplicada à Saúde,

University Luterana of Brasil (ULBRA), Canoas, Rio Grande do Sul, BRAZIL

Tel: 330-972-6203, Email:jpuskas@uakron.edu

ABSTRACT

Fiber mats were prepared using block copolymers of arborescent poly(isobutylene-b-styrene) (arbSIBS) and poly(alloocimene-b-isobutylene-b-alloocimene) (AIBA) thermoplastic elastomers. The fiber mats were characterized using water contact angle (WCA) and SEM. Mouse fibroblasts strain L929 were used to investigate the cytotoxic responses. Direct contact and Elution cytotoxic assays after 72 hours signify these materials did not produce a cytotoxic response. The ability to tailor the fiber mat’s diameter and hydrophobicity make these materials suitable for a wide range of applications in the medical field.