Novel nanoporous bioceramic spheres for drug delivery application: a preliminary in vitro investigation

Background Bioceramics and their composites have found myriad applications in medicine as superlative osteoalloplasts. Their potential to function as a biocompatible resorbable drug delivery system is being explored. The present study is a preliminary investigation into the efficacy of these indigenously developed nanoporous materials as vehicles for therapeutic agents. An in vitro experiment was conducted with the goal of assessing this material and comparing it with a commercially available gentamicin-loaded polymethylmethacrylate cement. Study Design The drug-eluting characteristics of gentamicin bone cement and indigenously designed nanoporous bioceramic granules were analyzed spectrophotometrically and compared. Regression analysis was done. Results The first 5 days saw the elute from both samples containing drug concentrations >100 μg/g. Conclusions Both samples exhibit a high initial-burst release, which is ideal for prophylactic purposes. Drug eluent levels for both materials were >100 μg/g, which is sufficient for bactericidal activity.