Ethylene vinylacetate polymer (EVA) has been used for many years to fabricate controlled-release polymeric implant devices with which drugs of high or low molecular weight compounds could be delivered with zero-order kinetics. However, because the known fabrication methods such as solvent evaporation, casting and possible shrinkage are not sufficiently controllable we have now developed the mic...

Biodegradable polymer scaffolds were prepared from chitosan with varying degree of deacetylation for in vitro culture of human breast cancer MCF-7 cell lines. These polymers were characterized in terms of functional groups by FTIR and swelling properties. Polymers having high degree of deacetylation showed better swelling properties irrespective of the molecular weight. These polymers were bioc...

Low drug delivery efficiency and drug resistance from highly heterogeneous cancer cells and tumor microenvironment represent major challenges in clinical oncology. Growth factor receptor, IGF-1R, is overexpressed in both human tumor cells and tumor associated stromal cells. The level of IGF-1R expression is further up-regulated in drug resistant tumor cells. We have developed IGF-1R targeted ma...

Enzyme catalysis as a tool to disassemble supramolecular hydrogels to control the release of encapsulated drugs provides an opportunity to design a wide range of enzyme-specific low-molecular-weight hydrogelators. In this proof-of-concept work, we report the synthesis of low-molecular-weight amphiphilic prodrugs as hydrogelators from a well-known drug acetaminophen (which belongs to a class of ...

The human nose has the potential to be an alternative route for the systemic delivery of a wide range of therapeutic agents. The richly supplied vascular nature of the nasal mucosa and its high drug permeation makes it a potential route for the administration of many drugs including proteins, peptides and vaccines. Nasal route is most suitable for those drugs which cannot be administered orally...

The preparation of polymer therapeutics capable of controlled release of multiple chemotherapeutic drugs has remained a tough problem in synergistic combination cancer therapy. Herein, a novel dual-drug co-delivery system carrying doxorubicin (DOX) and platinum(IV) (Pt[IV]) was developed. An amphiphilic diblock copolymer, PCL-b-P(OEGMA-co-AzPMA), was synthesized and used as a nanoscale drug car...

Polymer composites consisted of small hydrophilic pockets homogeneously dispersed in a hydrophobic polymer matrix are important in many applications where controlled release of the functional agent from the hydrophilic phase is needed. As an example, a release of biomolecules or drugs from therapeutic formulations or release of salt in anti-icing application can be mentioned. Here, we report a ...

Multivalent polymers offer a powerful opportunity to develop theranostic materials on the size scale of proteins that can provide targeting, imaging, and therapeutic functionality. Achieving this goal requires the presence of multiple targeting molecules, dyes, and/or drugs on the polymer scaffold. This critical review examines the synthetic, analytical, and functional challenges associated wit...

Diffusion in polymer solutions and gels has been studied by various techniques such as gravimetry, membrane permeation, fluorescence and radioactive labeling. These studies have led to a better knowledge on polymer morphology, transport phenomena, polymer melt and controlled release of drugs from polymer carriers. Various theoretical descriptions of the diffusion processes have been proposed. T...

The interaction of drugs and polymers used to incorporate in or surface modify/coat the liposomes can affect the phase transition, fluidity and other physical properties as well as in vivo fate of vesicles. In this study, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to investigate changes in the temperature and the enthalpy of phase transition of liposomes of various electrical charges foll...