Encapsulated Antibiotic Nanoparticles for Cranial Transplantation

The purpose of this research is to develop a unique nanoparticulate system that is capable of delivering antibiotics in a locally applied and extended-release manner for patients receiving cranial replacement implants and bone grafting. This study involves three major components: first, encapsulate both hydrophobic antibiotics (chloramphenicol and rifampicine) and hydrophilic antibiotics (vancomycine and acyclovir) into nanoparticles. Second, incorporate antibiotic nanoparticles in a polymeric coating material (nitrocellulose plus 7.0% (w/v) polyvinylpyrrolidone) with a volatile carrier solvent (ethyl acetate or ethanol). Third, directly apply the resulting product from component 1 and 2 to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) cranial implants and hydroxylapatite (HA) bone grafting materials directly before surgery. When the volatile carrier solvent evaporates, the coating polymer with embedded antibiotic nanoparticles will form a thin film that is capably attached to the surface of the implant material. Local application of encapsulated antibiotics directly to the surgical sites can provide a non-oral, non-intravenous, controlled time-release treatment, which would allow continuous administration of antibiotic therapy over the prescribed time span of the individual antibiotics used. This study will provide a novel chemotherapeutic regime for the prevention and treatment of bacterial, fungal, and viral infections often occurred in cranial/bone transplant patients with a more efficient effective dose. The main advantage of this study is reduction of problems with antibiotics administered through oral route such as multi drug resistance, systemic toxicity due to high doses and first pass metabolism. This study has several advantages such as size and efficacy of nanoparticles, sustained release due to nanoparticulate antibiotics and non-toxic