Electrospun patches adhere inside the mouth to treat ulcers

(Credit: University of Sheffield)

The patches were developed by scientists from Sheffield University’s School of Clinical Dentistry working with Danish firm Dermtreat A/S. Currently, ulcers and lesions inside the mouth are largely treated using ointments or mouthwashes, which are not effective at targeting a specific area. This new treatment releases steroids directly to oral ulcers or lesions whilst also creating a protective barrier around the affected area.

The researchers made their ‘mucoadhesive’ patch using a process known as electrospinning, whereby polymers, solvents and other molecules are combined in ways that allow the resulting structures to be tuned. It’s a manufacturing technique that enables both nano- and microscale fibres to be interwoven, creating a high porosity and surface area that enables drugs to interact with the mouth, while also adhering to it.

Specifically, the patch created by the Sheffield team consisted of an outer hydrophobic polycaprolactone (PLC) backing layer and an inner, mucoadhesive component formed by electrospinning polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and Eudragit RS100 as fibre-forming polymers. The work is published in the journal Biomaterials.