Description:
Drug
delivery is the process of administering a pharmaceutical compound to achieve a
therapeutic effect. Drug delivery technologies can modify drug release profile,
absorption, distribution, and elimination for the benefit of the patient. A
current area of drug delivery research relates to targeted delivery models in
which drugs are delivered only to specific areas of the body. Targeted drug
delivery can treat many diseases, including certain cancers.
Hydrogel-type materials are now on the market for use for various
medications administered through the stomach and into the intestine. Some of the
features of hydrogels are that they are cross-linked, hydrophilic,
three-dimensional polymer networks that are highly permeable to various drug
compounds, tolerant to acidic environments, and are able to release entrapped
molecules through their matrix surfaces. It would be beneficial to create a
bio-compatible hydrogel drug delivery system that provides for target drug
delivery.
Description
Michigan
State University’s technology is an implanted drug delivery device comprised of
hollow hydrogel nanoparticles. These particles may be fabricated into
centimeter-scale implants, and the particle-aspect ratio may vary from spheres
to needles. The technology has the ability to load microparticles with a wide
range of molecules of different drugs.
The drug
delivery microparticles are immobilized at a particular site on or in the
patient to deliver a sustained release of drugs to a specific organ or area of
malignant tissue, allowing high drug concentrations at the target site and low
concentrations elsewhere. While the delivery of many drugs is systemic and
affects all of a patient’s tissue, the targeted delivery of drugs through this
technology can minimize side effects and improve the drug’s efficacy. Future
applications may target arteries that deliver blood or drugs to affected
tissue.
Benefits
·
Targeted drug delivery: Ability
to target only diseased cells, potentially reducing adverse side effects from
systemic dosing, and to deliver low to high concentrations of a drug over days
or weeks.
·
Implantable: Ability to be
implanted on a tumor to sustain and target release.
·
Transport a variety of molecules:
Potential to transport different drug molecules that vary in
size.
·
Low cost for flexible
fabrication: The technology uses a simple process, and
microneedles can be manufactured in a variety of shapes and sizes at a low cost.
Applications
·
Pharmaceutical drug delivery
·
Protein delivery
·
Nerve growth factor
delivery
