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. 2015 Mar 24:125:75-84.
doi: 10.1016/j.ces.2014.08.046.

Controlled Drug Release from Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers

Jinhyun Hannah Lee  1 , Yoon Yeo  2
Affiliations

Controlled Drug Release from Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers

Jinhyun Hannah Lee et al. Chem Eng Sci. .

Abstract

Nanocarriers providing spatiotemporal control of drug release contribute to reducing toxicity and improving therapeutic efficacy of a drug. On the other hand, nanocarriers face unique challenges in controlling drug release kinetics, due to the large surface area per volume ratio and the short diffusion distance. To develop nanocarriers with desirable release kinetics for target applications, it is important to understand the mechanisms by which a carrier retains and releases a drug, the effects of composition and morphology of the carrier on the drug release kinetics, and current techniques for preparation and modification of nanocarriers. This review provides an overview of drug release mechanisms and various nanocarriers with a specific emphasis on approaches to control the drug release kinetics.

Keywords: Nanocarriers; controlled release; drug delivery; drug release kinetics; drug release mechanisms.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Various types of pharmaceutical nanocarriers for drug delivery. (a) nanocapsule, (b) nanosphere, (c) liposome, (d) polymeric micelle, (e) nanogel, and (f) dendrimer.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Plasma drug concentration profiles obtained by single dosing (short dashed line), multiple dosing (dotted line), and zero order controlled release (solid line). The range formed by two levels of the minimum toxic concentration (MTC) and the maximum effective concentration (MEC) displays the therapeutic window, where drug is effective without displaying toxicity.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Drug release mechanisms utilized in nanocarriers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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