The Application of Biodegradable Nano-Enabled Drug Delivery in Treatemt of Brain Abscess

Successful management of a brain abscess usually requires a combination of long-term antibiotics treatment and surgical drainage. Due to the blood-brain-barrier of brain, antibiotic treatment requires a higher dose and longer time for intravenous infusion (usually 4-8 weeks). Patients with brain abscess may suffer from adverse drug reactions/ side effects, long-term hospitalization, increased health care spending and reduce the quality of life. We produced biodegradable PLGA nanofibers membrane embedded vancomycin. Our in vitro drug release study found that our vancomycin-embedded nano-membrane maintains four weeks effective drug concentration higher than therapeutic concentrations. The thickness of the biodegradable nano-membrane is about 0.1mm, it does not produce mass effect after implanting into brain tissue. The nano-membrane degraded completely without foreign body preserving in the brain. PLGA is highly biocompatible polymer and almost has no inflammation. We hypothesis the novel vancomycin-embedded nano-membrane could be properly used to treat infection of the brain (brain abscess). In the first step, PLGA/ Vancomycin nano-membrane is implanted into rat's brain after performing a small craniectomy. Through the process of degradation of PLGA, vancomycin release slowly and steady. At 3 days, 1 week, 2 weeks 3 weeks, 4 weeks, 5 weeks, 6 weeks, 7 weeks and 8 weeks after surgery, we randomly select six mice at each time points, sampling appropriate blood, subcutaneous , near-craniectomy skull and brain tissue. The tissues were examined vancomycin concentrations by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) quantitative analysis of tissue. In the second step, we create a brain abscess via injecting staphylococcus aureus solution into 2-3 mm depth below brain surface of rat brain. PLGA/ Vancomycine nanomembrane with plug was implanted while the created brain abscess was diagnosed by brain MRI examination. Brain MRI will be performed every week to observed the size of brain abscess. The results will be the pilot study to evaluate the vancomycin-embedded nano-membrane used in the clinical treatment of infection of the brain (brain abscess) is feasible.