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Polymer-Based Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery Applications (Volume II)

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomaterials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 March 2023) | Viewed by 4909

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
1. Center for Marine Sciences (CCMar), University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
2. Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB), Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais 1, 1049-001 Lisboa, Portugal
Interests: the development of new drug delivery systems by means of colloidal carriers; the structural characterization of proteins entrapped into micro- and nanocarriers; the lyophilization of biopharmaceuticals; the targeted and controlled delivery of drugs across biological barriers; the solid-state characterization of pharmaceuticals and the drying of pharmaceuticals and biopharmaceuticals; regenerative medicine
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Given the success of the first volume, the importance of this topic in the scientific community is clear. Therefore, this second volume of the Special Issue is focused on following the last trends in the field.

Polymer nanoparticles are versatile carriers for the delivery of drugs through different delivery routes. This versatility makes them excellent tools for the development of innovative drug delivery systems. In fact, they can deliver different types of drugs, such as conventional drugs, proteins, and nucleic acids in a sustained, controlled, or targeted manner, while simultaneously protecting the stability of the loaded drug. When focusing on drug delivery, the biocompatibility and toxicity of the delivery system are two important aspects to address.

Polymers from natural (alginate, chitosan, cellulose, etc.) or synthetic (PLA, PLGA, PEG, etc.) sources can be used individually or combined to tailor-make polymer nanoparticles for drug delivery applications. Strategies like the combination with other materials or the use of polymers that are responsive to stimuli such as light, temperature, pH, and electric field are promising approaches to developing polymer-based nanoparticles for the delivery of drugs and the enhancement of therapeutic outcome.

This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of recent advances in the delivery of drugs using polymer-based nanoparticles, focusing on promising strategies for the improvement of therapies and of patients’ quality of life.

As the Guest Editor, I cordially invite all researchers to contribute original research articles or reviews in this important and exciting research field.

Dr. Pedro Fonte
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • polymer nanoparticles
  • drug delivery
  • biopharmaceuticals
  • protein delivery
  • nanomedicine
  • biomaterial
  • nucleic acid
  • natural polymers
  • synthetic polymers
  • nanocomposites

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

28 pages, 1552 KiB  
Review
Chitosan Nanoparticles: A Versatile Platform for Biomedical Applications
by Showkeen Muzamil Bashir, Gulzar Ahmed Rather, Ana Patrício, Zulfiqar Haq, Amir Amin Sheikh, Mohd Zahoor ul Haq Shah, Hemant Singh, Azmat Alam Khan, Sofi Imtiyaz, Sheikh Bilal Ahmad, Showket Nabi, Rabia Rakhshan, Saqib Hassan and Pedro Fonte
Materials 2022, 15(19), 6521; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15196521 - 20 Sep 2022
Cited by 47 | Viewed by 4617
Abstract
Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible natural polymer that has been extensively explored in recent decades. The Food and Drug Administration has approved chitosan for wound treatment and nutritional use. Furthermore, chitosan has paved the way for advancements in different biomedical applications including [...] Read more.
Chitosan is a biodegradable and biocompatible natural polymer that has been extensively explored in recent decades. The Food and Drug Administration has approved chitosan for wound treatment and nutritional use. Furthermore, chitosan has paved the way for advancements in different biomedical applications including as a nanocarrier and tissue-engineering scaffold. Its antibacterial, antioxidant, and haemostatic properties make it an excellent option for wound dressings. Because of its hydrophilic nature, chitosan is an ideal starting material for biocompatible and biodegradable hydrogels. To suit specific application demands, chitosan can be combined with fillers, such as hydroxyapatite, to modify the mechanical characteristics of pH-sensitive hydrogels. Furthermore, the cationic characteristics of chitosan have made it a popular choice for gene delivery and cancer therapy. Thus, the use of chitosan nanoparticles in developing novel drug delivery systems has received special attention. This review aims to provide an overview of chitosan-based nanoparticles, focusing on their versatile properties and different applications in biomedical sciences and engineering. Full article
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