AccScience Publishing / IJB / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/IJB025290294
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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Thermally tunable and biodegradable copolymer ink for 3D-printed implantable drug delivery depots

Yun Geun Jeong1† ,  Joon Yeong Park1† ,  Moon Hee Lim1 ,  James J Yoo2 ,  Sang Jin Lee2 ,  Moon Suk Kim1,3*
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1 Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea
2 Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston- Salem, North Carolina, United States of America
3 Research Institute, Medipolymer, Suwon, Gyeonggi, South Korea
†These authors contributed equally to this work.
IJB, 025290294 https://doi.org/10.36922/IJB025290294
Received: 18 July 2025 | Accepted: 26 August 2025 | Published online: 26 August 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

Three-dimensional (3D) printing enables precise, patient-tailored drug delivery, but its broader potential is limited by the lack of polymers that combine low processing temperatures with tunable biodegradability. This study presents the rational design, synthesis, and characterization of poly(ε-caprolactone-ran-lactide) (CL) polymer inks with tunable printability and controllable biodegradability for 3D-printed implantable drug delivery applications. By varying the poly(lactide) (PLA) content (1–20 mol%) within the poly(ε-caprolactone) backbone, the thermal and mechanical properties of the CL copolymers were precisely adjusted to meet both printing and biological performance criteria. Differential scanning calorimetry revealed that increasing PLA content systematically reduced the melting temperature (from 57 to 40°C), enabling thermal modulation of printability and depot shape retention. Rheological and printability assessments, conducted under optimized chamber temperature, feed rate, and extrusion pressure, demonstrated excellent filament continuity, layer stacking fidelity, and shape preservation. Among the synthesized variants, CL1–CL3 maintained structural stability above 40°C and were selected for detailed evaluation. The polymer inks were further validated through the fabrication of dexamethasone (Dex)-loaded CL (Dex-CL) depots, which achieved high encapsulation efficiency (>90%) and exhibited sustained drug release over 30 days in both in vitro and in vivo models. Notably, the lower melting point of Dex-CL3 contributed to accelerated release kinetics, confirming the utility of PLA content as a tunable parameter for degradation control. In vivo studies demonstrated prolonged Dex retention with minimal local inflammation, as confirmed by histological analysis. The CL polymer inks showed excellent biocompatibility and tissue integration, underscoring their potential for biomedical implantation. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that CL polymer inks provide a robust platform for 3D printing implantable drug depots with customizable degradation profiles, reliable structural performance, and immunological safety, supporting their use in sustained and responsive therapeutic delivery systems.  

Graphical abstract
Keywords
3D printing
Biocompatibility
Biodegradability
Drug delivery
Polymer inks
Printability
Funding
This study was supported by grants from the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) Program (RS-2024-00458419), and the Ministry of Small & Medium-sized Enterprises and Startups (20224371).
Conflict of interest
Moon Suk Kim serves as an Editorial Board Member of the journal but was not involved in the editorial or peer-review process for this manuscript, either directly or indirectly. The other authors declare no competing interests.
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International Journal of Bioprinting, Electronic ISSN: 2424-8002 Print ISSN: 2424-7723, Published by AccScience Publishing
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