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Review
. 2012 Jan;3(1):125-39.
doi: 10.4155/tde.11.137.

Physically facilitating drug-delivery systems

Jorge I Rodriguez-Devora  1 , Sunny Ambure, Zhi-Dong Shi, Yuyu Yuan, Wei Sun, Tao Xui
Affiliations
Review

Physically facilitating drug-delivery systems

Jorge I Rodriguez-Devora et al. Ther Deliv. 2012 Jan.

Abstract

Facilitated/modulated drug-delivery systems have emerged as a possible solution for delivery of drugs of interest to pre-allocated sites at predetermined doses for predefined periods of time. Over the past decade, the use of different physical methods and mechanisms to mediate drug release and delivery has grown significantly. This emerging area of research has important implications for development of new therapeutic drugs for efficient treatments. This review aims to introduce and describe different modalities of physically facilitating drug-delivery systems that are currently in use for cancer and other diseases therapy. In particular, delivery methods based on ultrasound, electrical, magnetic and photo modulations are highlighted. Current uses and areas of improvement for these different physically facilitating drug-delivery systems are discussed. Furthermore, the main advantages and drawbacks of these technologies reviewed are compared. The review ends with a speculative viewpoint of how research is expected to evolve in the upcoming years.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Physically facilitating drug-delivery systems, which mainly include photo-, magnetic-, thermal-, ultrasound- and electrical-based modulation systems.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Ultrasound mechanism
(A) Layered skin tissue; (B) ultrasound waves applied causes cavitation within skin layers; (C) drug passes through skin cells towards target and; (D) drug delivers into target.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Nanocages
(A & B) Silver nanostructure transform into silver nanocage by galvanic reaction with HAuCl4. (C) The light is absorbed by the nanocage and converted into heat, triggering the smart polymer to collapse and, thus, release the preloaded effector. (D) When the laser is turned off, the polymer chains will relax back to the extended conformation and terminate the release. Printed by permission from Macmillan Publishers [Nature Materials] [128] (2009).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Photovoltaic mechanism
(A) In the typical PV device cell, photon energy frees electrical charge carriers, which become part of the current in an electric circuit. A built-in electric field provides the voltage needed to drive the current through an external load. (B) Drug release from a PV device upon external photostimulation. PV: Photovoltaic.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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■ Websites

    1. ClinicalTrials.gov http://clinicaltrials.gov.
    1. ClinicalTrials.gov. NCT00859729 www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT00859729.

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