Layer-by-layer assembled polymeric thin films as prospective drug delivery carriers: design and applications

Abstract

BackgroundThe main purpose of drug delivery systems is to deliver the drugs at the appropriate concentration to the precise target site. Recently, the application of a thin film in the field of drug delivery has gained increasing interest because of its ability to safely load drugs and to release the drug in a controlled manner, which improves drug efficacy. Drug loading by the thin film can be done in various ways, depending on type of the drug, the area of exposure, and the purpose of drug delivery.Main textThis review summarizes the various methods used for preparing thin films with drugs via Layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Furthermore, additional functionalities of thin films using surface modification in drug delivery are briefly discussed. There are three types of methods for preparing a drug-carrying multilayered film using LbL assembly. First methods include approaches for direct loading of the drug into the pre-fabricated multilayer film. Second methods are preparing thin films using drugs as building blocks. Thirdly, the drugs are incorporated in the cargo so that the cargo itself can be used as the materials of the film.ConclusionThe appropriate designs of the drug-loaded film were produced in consideration of the release amounts and site of the desired drug. Furthermore, additional surface modification using the LbL technique enabled the preparation of effective drug delivery carriers with improved targeting effect. Therefore, the multilayer thin films fabricated by the LbL technique are a promising candidate for an ideal drug delivery system and the development possibilities of this technology are infinite.

Polysaccharide Thin Solid Films for Analgesic Drug Delivery and Growth of Human Skin Cells

“…They also hold a huge scientific interest for several solid-liquid interface studies, especially for the adsorptive interaction of nanoparticles (Taajamaa et al, 2013), polyelectrolytes (Mohan et al, 2015, 2017), biomolecules (Kargl et al, 2015), etc. While significant efforts have been made to formulate drug delivery platforms from organo-soluble synthetic polymers (Vendra et al, 2011; Ponnusamy et al, 2012), the use of natural polymers (e.g., polysaccharides) for such applications is limited and have recently gained a paramount of interest (Zelikin, 2010; Park K. et al, 2018; Park S. et al, 2018). Due to their high compatibility, bio-inertness, diverse physicochemical properties and ease of handling during manufacturing, polysaccharide thin films are excellent candidates for skin-related applications, where a controlled and targeted delivery of pain-relieving analgesic drugs are prerequisite (Miao et al, 2018).…”

Concepts for Designing Tailored Thin Film Surfaces with Potential Biological Applications

“…In recent years, the combination of new and improved techniques for patterning a substrate [12,13], spatially controlling the deposition of a material [14], supramolecular synthesis [15], as well as new assembling procedures to fabricate tunable films at the nanoscale [16,17], has allowed the introduction and control of spatial and temporal, physicochemical and biological cues. It has been possible to wisely design materials to (i) modulate and study cell behavior and fate [18][19][20][21], (ii) deliver, release and sense bioactive molecules [22][23][24][25], and (iii) increase the biocompatibility and functionalities of materials and devices [26,27]. In many situations, the tailored system properties depend on both the characteristics of the pristine substrate and those of the coating.…”

Ampholytic and Polyelectrolytic Starch as Matrices for Controlled Drug Delivery

“…The interest in modifying their release led to sustained investigation efforts aimed to develop new technologies, formulas, or devices to control the drug release. The expectations and, in a large measure, the achievements of drug delivery systems (DDS) were to optimize the treatments by administering precise doses (avoiding under/overdose) [1], targeting the affected areas and improving the patient compliance [2,3]. Orally controlled release systems (OCRS) can be obtained by: osmotic delivery systems [4,5], porous structured materials [6], tablet coating [7,8], and controlled release from monolithic matrices (using functional excipients) [9].…”