BACKGROUND: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is required for the maintenance of normal bone physiology. This study describes the properties of a sustained-release formulation of recombinant human PTH (rhPTH) using chitosan and silk fibroin microparticles as carriers for drug delivery, developed using a spray-drying method.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Chitosan, silk fibroin, and chitosan/silk fibroin microparticles loaded with rhPTH were studied with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to estimate the particle size and surface morphology. The in vitro release of rhPTH was used to assess the developed formulation. The effect of the spray-drying process was assessed by powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) of the microparticles. Quantification of the released rhPTH was performed by enzyme-linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the differences in the absorption frequency of samples.

RESULTS: Surface morphology of the final formulation showed the absence of pure crystals of chitosan and silk fibroin in the final formulation and FTIR demonstrated electrostatic interactions between chitosan and silk fibroin, which was supported by PXRD. The chitosan/silk fibroin microparticles loaded with rhPTH showed an entrapment efficiency (EE) that ranged from 60.36–72.99% with a 50% rhPTH release profile at pH 7.5 in 24 hours. There was no particle aggregation in blood and little hemolysis, indicating stability of the rhPTH-loaded microparticles.

CONCLUSIONS: A silk fibroin/chitosan microparticle formulation loaded with rhPTH was shown to be stable and to provide sustained-release of rhPTH, supporting a potential role of this formulation in the treatment of bone diseases including osteoporosis and bone fracture.

Keywords: Chitosan, Parathyroid Hormone, Recombinant Proteins