Abstract
Drug delivery systems and technologies such as nanoparticles, liposomes, emulsions, and amorphous dispersions ensure proper drug distribution for the prevention and treatment of human diseases. These delivery systems are often designed to target specific sites in the human body, optimize drug therapy, or reduce adverse effects. These technologies and their recent advancement have great potential in revolutionizing the pharmaceutical drug development process.
This special issue on Drug Delivery Systems and Technologies will be presented in two parts. These issues will present a combination of research and review articles to cover specific formulation, characterization, and in vitro or in vivo facets of specific delivery systems. ASSAY readers should gain both broad and detailed understandings of various aspects of drug delivery systems. The first set of articles highlights the importance of novel drug delivery applications associated with the ocular route of administration. This presents a unique set of challenges due to low residence time, availability of compatible polymers approved by the Food and Drug Administration, and irritation and side effects associated with local delivery.
The first issue consists of five articles, starting with a review article focused on conventional micro- and novel nanoparticles that are utilized for various ocular diseases. The review article is followed by research articles focusing on small-molecule (axitinib, itraconazole) delivery for macular degeneration and ocular neovascularization. The two research articles use novel drug delivery systems, specifically biodegradable PLGA polymer-based nanoparticles and surface modified lipid careers, to target ocular regions effectively. Another article focuses on the evaluation of small molecules for delivery into articular cartilage, especially the effect of synovial clearance and compression load. The final article, although not associated with the ocular route, focuses on the nano self-emulsifying drug delivery system. This unique system is designed to deliver a combination of hydrophobic compound curcumin along with high molecular weight polypeptide-k. The article discusses the formulation, optimization, biopharmaceutical characterization, and pharmacodynamic assessment of the designed combination drug delivery systems. Overall, this issue will be enlightening to ASSAY readers working in the area of drug delivery systems.