Flavopiridol-loaded lubricative microspheres for osteoarthritis treatment in rabbit

Abstract

Osteoarthritis considerably affects the daily activities of humans and pets. Medication is an effective treatment option for osteoarthritis. However, commonly used medications require frequent injections or oral administration, which may cause side effects such as gastrointestinal reactions, drug overdose, and missed doses. In this study, we developed lubricative drug-releasing microspheres based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), for the treatment of osteoarthritis. PLGA microspheres formed using microfluidic electronic technology have uniform spherical morphology, sufficient biocompatibility, and excellent drug-release performance. Animal experiments in rabbits have shown that flavopiridol-loaded PLGA is an effective drug carrier for osteoarthritis treatment, since it promotes glycosaminoglycan deposition. Therefore, our flavopiridol-loaded lubricating microspheres is anticipated to exhibit considerable potential for osteoarthritis treatment in humans and pets.