The modern day drug delivery technology is only 60 years old. During this period numerous drug delivery systems have been developed. The first generation (1950–1980) has been very productive in developing many oral and transdermal controlled release formulations for clinical applications. On the other hand, the second generation (1980–2010) has not been as successful in generating clinical products. This is in large part due to the nature of the problems to overcome. The first generation of drug delivery technologies dealt with physicochemical problems, while the second struggled with biological barriers. Controlled drug delivery systems can be made with controllable physicochemical properties, but they cannot overcome the biological barriers. The third generation (from 2010) drug delivery systems need to overcome both physicochemical and biological barriers. The physicochemical problems stem from poor water solubility of drugs, large molecular weight of peptide and protein drugs, and difficulty of controlling drug release kinetics. The biological barriers to overcome include distribution of drug delivery systems by the body rather than by formulation properties, limiting delivery to a specific target in the body. In addition, the body's reaction to formulations limits their functions in vivo. The prosperous future of drug delivery systems depends on whether new delivery systems can overcome limits set by human physiology, and the development process can be accelerated with new ways of thinking.
Various pharmaceutical particles have been used in developing different drug delivery systems ranging from traditional tablets to state-of-the-art nanoparticle formulations. Nanoparticle formulations are unique in that the small size with huge surface area sometimes provides unique properties that larger particles and bulk materials do not have. Nanoparticle formulations have been used in improving the bioavailability of various drugs, in particular, poorly soluble drugs. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems have found their unique applications in targeted drug delivery to tumors. While nanoparticle formulations have been successful in small animal xenograft models, their translation to clinical applications has been very rare. Developing nanoparticle systems designed for targeted drug delivery, e.g., treating tumors in humans, requires clear understanding of the uniqueness of nanoparticles, as well as limitations and causes of failures in clinical applications. It also requires designing novel smart nanoparticle delivery systems that can increase the drug bioavailability and at the same time reduce the drug's side effects.
Solution-based, direct-write patterning by an automated, computer-controlled, inkjet technique is of particular interest in a wide variety of industrial fields. We report the construction of three-dimensional (3D), micropatterned structures by polymer inkjet printing. A piezoelectric, drop-on-demand (DOD) inkjet printing system and a common polymer, PVA (poly(vinyl alcohol)), were explored for 3D construction. After a systematic preliminary study with different solvent systems, a mixture of water and DMSO was chosen as an appropriate solvent for PVA inks. The use of water as a single solvent resulted in frequent PVA clogging when the nozzles were undisturbed. Among the tested polymer ink compositions, the PVA inks in a water/DMSO mixture (4/1 v/v) with concentrations of 3 to 5 g/dL proved to be appropriate for piezoelectric DOD inkjet printing because they were well within the proper viscosity and surface tension range. When a dot was printed, the so-called 'coffee-ring effect' was significant, but its appearance was not prominent in line printing. The optimal polymer inkjet printing process was repeated slice after slice up to 200 times, which produced a well-defined, 3D micro-patterned surface. The overall results implied that piezoelectric DOD polymer inkjet printing could be a powerful, solid-freeform, fabrication technology to create a controlled 3D architecture.
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