Aiman Abu Ammar
Azrieli College of Engineering Jerusalem, Israel
Title: Controlled release of steroids utilizing drug-eluting endotracheal tube
Biography
Biography: Aiman Abu Ammar
Abstract
Intubation-related morbidity is a common complication that usually involves the larynx and trachea, leading to local irritation, inflammation, and edema. Such complication is secondary to airway mucosal damage due to the use of an endo-tracheal tube (ETT), which produces local pressure and a pressure-like ulcer. The common clinical approach to manage airway mucosal damage is systemic administration of steroids hours to days prior to extubation, however, such treatment is inadequate, and some patients will need to undergo tracheostomy. Herein, steroid-eluting ETT for local treatment was developed for the purpose of improving drug efficiency and avoiding systemic steroid related side effects. Electrospinning technique was utilized to coat ETTs and produce a microscale layer of poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanofibers loaded with Mometasone Furoate (MF). The novel delivery system was fully characterized, by means of drug loading, morphology, and mechanical stability of fiber mats. Moreover, in vitro release study demonstrated controlled release of MF over 14 days. The MF-coated ETTs exhibited superior therapeutic response compared to blank ETTs using an in vivo rat model, in terms of reduced laryngeal mucosal thickness and submucosal laryngeal edema. Taken together, steroid-loaded ETT is a novel approach allows for local drug delivery in a controlled manner, for improved treatment of intubation-related morbidity.