Polymer microspheres, phagocytosis

Tabata, Y. and Ikada, Y. (1988). Effect of the size and surface-charge of polymer microspheres on their phagocytosis by macrophage. Biomaterials, 9, 356-362. 

Tabata Y, Ikada Y. Phagocytosis of polymer microspheres by macrophages. Adv Polym Sci 1990 94 107-141. 

This article reviews the phagocytosis of polymer microspheres by macrophages with respect to the size and the surface characteristics of the microspheres. Since few investigations have been carried out using well-characterized polymer microspheres, the authors have emphasized own experimental results. The findings provide useful information on the development of polymer microspheres as carriers for drug delivery systems. 

This article describes macrophage phagocytosis of polymer microspheres for the purpose of a deeper understanding of the polymer interaction with phagocytic cells. The provided information should contribute to the development of polymeric biomaterials, especially of polymer carriers applicable for drug delivery systems. 

Polymer microspheres with monodispersed distribution in size are much perferable for phagocytosis assays, because the size dominantly governs phagocytosis of the microspheres by M< ). In addition, the microspheres should be prepared without any surfactants to exclude the influence of the soap molecules adsorbed onto the surface, on phagocytosis of the microspheres. We have synthesized monodispersed polystyrene microspheres by soap-free emulsion polymerization of styrene at 70 °C for 30 hr using potassium persulfate as a initiator [14]. The widely different diameters of the... 

---