Immobilization and delivery of biologically active Lipoxin A using electrospinning technology.

Lipoxin (LX)A is a lipoxygenase-formed arachidonic acid metabolite with potent anti-inflammatory, pro-resolution properties. Its therapeutic efficacy has been largely demonstrated in a variety of cellular, preclinical and clinical models. Among these, periodontal disease, where LXA promotes tissue repair, also by modulating functions of human periodontal ligament stem cells (hPDLSCs). As medicated biomembranes may be particularly useful in clinical settings, where local stimulation of tissue repair is needed, we used electrospinning to embed LXA in membranes made of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLLA). These membranes were fully characterized by scanning electron microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and biocompatibility with hPDLSCs. Here, we report that LXA is retained in these membranes and that ∼15-20% of the total LXA amount added to the reaction can be eluted from the membranes using an aqueous buffered medium. The eluted LXA fully retained its capability to stimulate hPDLSC proliferation. A similar effect was obtained by adding directly the LXA-containing membranes to cells. These results demonstrate for the first time that LXA can be incorporated into biomembranes, which may be useful to combat local inflammation and promote tissue repair in selected clinical settings.