Layered bodies and compositions containing them

1. A layered body comprising:

a core region;

at least one intermediate layer; and

an outer layer, wherein:

(1) the at least one intermediate layer and the outer layer are disposed concentrically around the core region, such that the at least one intermediate layer surrounds the core region and the outer layer surrounds the at least one intermediate layer; and

(2) the layered body has a diameter of 100 μm or less as measured by scanning electron microscopy; and wherein either:

(i) each of the core region and the outer layer is solid and comprises a biocompatible polymer and the at least one intermediate layer disposed between the core region and the outer layer comprises a halogenated hydrocarbon gas; or

(ii) the core region comprises a gas, and the at least one intermediate layer comprises a first intermediate layer and a second intermediate layer, wherein the first intermediate layer is solid, surrounds the core region, and comprises a biocompatible polymer, and the second intermediate layer comprises a halogenated hydrocarbon gas disposed between the first intermediate layer and the outer layer, and the outer layer is solid and comprises a biocompatible polymer;

wherein the layered body is spherical and formed in an electrohydrodynamic process;

wherein the biocompatible polymer is selected from the group consisting of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyethers, polyethylene imine, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyglycolic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid); and

wherein the halogenated hydrocarbon gas of the intermediate layer in (i) or (ii) comprises a halogenated hydrocarbon compound having 10 carbons or less.

2. The layered body according to claim 1 , wherein the layered body has the structure of (ii) comprising the first intermediate layer surrounding the core region, and the second intermediate layer disposed between the first intermediate layer and the outer layer.

3. The layered body according to claim 1 , wherein the core region comprises a first active agent, and the outer layer comprises a second active agent different from the first active agent.

4. The layered body according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of the core region, the at least one intermediate layer, or the outer layer comprises a therapeutic agent or a diagnostic agent.

5. A composition comprising a plurality of layered bodies according to claim 1 .

6. The layered body according to claim 1 , wherein the biocompatible polymer comprises a polyether selected from the group consisting of polyethylene oxides, polyethylene glycols, and cellulose ether polymers.

7. The layered body according to claim 3 , wherein the layered body is in the form of a time-release capsule.

8. The layered body according to claim 3 , wherein at least one of the first active agent or the second active agent is an antibiotic.

9. A layered body comprising:

a core region that comprises a biocompatible polymer selected from the group consisting of polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyglycolic acid, poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid), polymethylsilsesquioxane, and cellulose ether polymers;

an intermediate layer that comprises a gas; and

an outer layer that is solid, wherein the intermediate layer and the outer layer are disposed concentrically around the core region, such that the intermediate layer surrounds the core region and the outer layer surrounds the intermediate layer;

wherein the gas of the intermediate layer is air;

wherein the layered body is spherical and has a diameter of 100 μm or less as measured by scanning electron microscopy, and

wherein the layered body is formed in an electrohydrodynamic process using a voltage of 15 kV to 25 kV.

10. The layered body according to claim 9 , wherein the core region comprises an active agent, and the outer layer comprises a cellulose ether polymer.

11. The layered body according to claim 9 , wherein the core region or the outer layer comprises a peptide, DNA, or RNA.

12. A composition comprising the layered body according to claim 9 , wherein the composition is a pharmaceutical composition.

13. A composition comprising a plurality of layered bodies according to claim 1 and at least one additional layered body comprising:

a core region comprising a biocompatible polymer selected from the group consisting of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyethers, polyethylene imine, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyglycolic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid);

an intermediate layer of air or a halogenated hydrocarbon gas comprising a halogenated hydrocarbon compound having 10 carbons or less; and

an outer layer comprising a biocompatible polymer that is the same or different from the biocompatible polymer of the core region, the biocompatible polymer of the outer layer being selected from the group consisting of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyethers, polyethylene imine, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyglycolic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid);

wherein the at least one additional layered body is spherical and has a diameter of 100 μm or less as measured by scanning electron microscopy.

14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein each layered body of the plurality of layered bodies comprises a first active agent, and the at least one additional layered body comprises a second active agent different from the first active agent.

15. A layered body comprising:

a core region comprising a first gas selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, air, and a halogenated hydrocarbon gas comprising a halogenated hydrocarbon compound having 10 carbons or less;

an outer layer comprising a polymer selected from the group consisting of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyethers, polyethylene imine, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyglycolic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid); and

at least two intermediate layers between the core region and the outer layer, the at least two intermediate layers comprising:

a first intermediate layer adjacent to the core region, the first intermediate layer comprising a polymer that is the same or different than the polymer of the outer layer, the polymer of the first intermediate layer being selected from the group consisting of sodium polystyrene sulfonate, polyethers, polyethylene imine, polylactic acid, polycaprolactone, polyglycolic acid, and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid); and

a second intermediate layer between the first intermediate layer and the outer layer, the second intermediate layer comprising a second gas different from the first gas, the second gas being selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen, air, and a halogenated hydrocarbon gas comprising a halogenated hydrocarbon compound having 10 carbons or less;

wherein the layered body is spherical and has a diameter of 100 μm or less as measured by scanning electron microscopy.

16. The layered body according to claim 15 , wherein the first gas or the second gas is air.