The College of Education for Pure Sciences, Department of Chemistry, has submitted a doctoral thesis entitled "Preparation and Evaluation of an In Vitro and In Vivo Study of a Polyurethane-Based Scaffold Incorporating Methotrexate and Icariin for Controlled Drug Delivery." The thesis, presented by researcher Briham Saad Abdel Samad, included the preparation of a new polyurethane scaffold for controlled drug delivery and tissue regeneration. Three types of polymeric scaffolds were prepared, and active agents such as graphene oxide (GO) and nanoparticles of hydroxyapatite (HA) were incorporated into the scaffold. Microscopic spherical particles loaded with methotrexate and icariin were also prepared. The chemical compositions of the microscopic spherical particles and prepared scaffolds were determined using FTIR, XRD, SEM, and NMR spectroscopy techniques for a comprehensive description. The degradation of these prepared scaffolds was studied, revealing controlled degradation over 21 days in both oxidative and enzymatic environments, with each scaffold system exhibiting unique degradation patterns.
Also in this study, PVA/chitosan nanofibers were electrospun, and methotrexate was loaded into the nanofibers. The drug release pattern was then studied. The results showed that the PVA/chitosan nanofibers would be good carriers for methotrexate, promising a future method for drug delivery in medicine as wound dressing materials.
These drug-loaded polymer scaffolds were then surgically applied to rabbits, where biochemical evaluations using rabbit models showed significant differences between the three scaffold systems.
Comprehensive hematological analyses confirmed the physiological compatibility of the scaffolds, with initial inflammatory responses gradually returning to normal by the fourth week. This research represents a significant achievement in biomaterials engineering, introducing versatile scaffold systems with applications in controlled drug delivery, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. By demonstrating the ability to precisely engineer scaffolds with tunable degradation, release properties, and biological performance
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