Locally delivered anti-inflammatory compounds can restore the homeostasis of the\ndegenerated intervertebral disc (IVD). With beneficial effects on IVD cells, epigallocatechin 3-gallate\n(EGCG) is a promising therapeutic candidate. However, EGCG is prone to rapid degradation and/or\ndepletion. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a method for controlled EGCG delivery\nin the degenerated IVD. Primary IVD cells were isolated fromhuman donors undergoing IVD surgeries.\nEGCG was encapsulated into microparticles by electrospraying of glutaraldehyde-crosslinked gelatin.\nThe resulting particles were characterized in terms of cytocompatibility and anti-inflammatory\nactivity, and combined with a thermoresponsive carrier to produce an injectable EGCG delivery\nsystem. Subsequently, electrospraying was scaled up using the industrial NANOSPIDERâ?¢technology.\nThe produced EGCG microparticles reduced the expression of inflammatory (IL-6, IL-8, COX-2) and\ncatabolic (MMP1, MMP3, MMP13) mediators in pro-inflammatory 3D cell cultures. Combining the\nEGCG microparticles with the carrier showed a trend towards modulating EGCG activity/release.\nElectrospray upscaling was achieved, leading to particles with homogenous spherical morphologies.\nIn conclusion, electrospray-based encapsulation of EGCG resulted in cytocompatible microparticles\nthat preserved the activity of EGCG and showed the potential to control EGCG release, thus favoring\nIVD health by downregulating local inflammation. Future studies will focus on further exploring the\nbiological activity of the developed delivery system for potential clinical use.
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