Multilayer Microcapsules of Natural and Nature-Inspired Polymers as Drug Delivery Vessels

Polyelectrolyte vesicles using layer-by-layer (LbL) were recently introduced for the encapsulation of therapeutic molecules. This work presents multilayered microcapsules of chitosan and a temperature-responsive elastin-like recombinamer (ELR) as a novel drug delivery system. The release of a pre-loaded model protein was studied at distinct temperatures and number of layers to evaluate the permeability of these structures and their potential as tunable drug delivery devices. Confocal microscopy was also performed to evaluate the size variation with the temperature.