Biodegradable Synthetic Polymers and their Application in Advanced Drug Delivery Systems (DDS)

Abstract

Natural and synthetic polymers have been used in pharmaceutical industry for many years and have important role in the development of the conventional dosage forms or for manufacturing of various drug packaging materials. In recent years, their important application resides in the development of the most sophisticated drug delivery systems where polymers are used as a drug carrier. Biodegradable polymers are particularly attractive for application in drug delivery systems since, once introduced into the human body, they do not require removal or additional manipulation. Their degradation products are normal metabolites of the body or products that can be metabolized and easily cleared from the body. Among that, synthetic polymers offer a wide variety of compositions with adjustable properties. These materials open the possibility of developing new drug delivery systems with specific properties (chemical, interfacial, mechanical and biological) for a given application, simply by changing the building blocks or the preparation technique. Such designed complex drug delivery systems where polymers are used as functional excipients have numerous advantages such as localized delivery of drug, sustained delivery of drug, stabilization of the drug, prevention of drug's adverse side-effects, reduction of dosing frequency, minimization of drug concentration fluctuations in plasma level, improved drug utilization and patient compliance. There are range of differently designed drug delivery systems and their description and mechanism of action will be presented in this paper together with the prominent role of the polymers for each particular system. Additionally, most commonly used synthetic biodegradable polymers in drug delivery systems will be presented together with their degradation mechanism.

Polymeric Metal Contrast Agents for T1-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain

“…Still, too, simple polymer conjugation to achieve a coated CA is another approach that can be seen in recent literature. The advantages and disadvantages of each polymer-based delivery system have been reviewed extensively elsewhere. ,− …”

Pairing-Enhanced Regioselectivity: Synthesis of Alternating Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) from Racemic Methyl-Glycolide

“…18,22−24 The uniform degradation of alternating PLGA and homogeneous drug dispersion of amorphous PLGA combined can become a great candidate for controlled drug delivery. 25 Tacticity is another consideration for polymer crystallinity. PLGA may have isotactic, syndiotactic, and atactic microstructures, depending on the starting material chirality and reaction stereoselectivity.…”

“…It is desirable to not only produce PLGA that is alternating in sequence but also amorphous in nature . Semicrystalline PLGA is preferred for biomedical uses that require mechanical strength, while amorphous PLGA chains can be more flexible and better complex drug molecules (Scheme , top right). ,− The uniform degradation of alternating PLGA and homogeneous drug dispersion of amorphous PLGA combined can become a great candidate for controlled drug delivery …”

Application of TOPSIS algorithm in describing bacterial cellulose-based composite hydrogel performance in incorporating methylene blue as a model drug

“…Drug release from composite hydrogel involves several steps which occur sequentially/ simultaneously, starting from water absorption, diffusion, and drug transport through the polymeric network. Physical entanglement/disentanglement of the hydrated polymer, swelling, drug dissolution and diffusion into the test solution all indicate that several mechanisms are involved in drug release 10,11 . With use of methylene blue (MB) as a model drug, release kinetic was described mathematically in the present work.…”