3D Printing in Personalized Drug Delivery

Abstract

Background: Personalized medicines are becoming more popular as they enable the use of patient’s genomics and hence help in better drug design with fewer side effects. In fact, several doses can be combined into one dosage form which suits the patient’s demography. 3 Dimensional (3D) printing technology for personalized medicine is a modern day treatment method based on genomics of patient. Methods: 3D printing technology uses digitally controlled devices for formulating API and excipients in a layer by layer pattern for developing a suitable personalized drug delivery system as per the need of patient. It includes various techniques like inkjet printing, fused deposition modelling which can further be classified into continuous inkjet system and drop on demand. In order to formulate such dosage forms, scientists have used various polymers to enhance their acceptance as well as therapeutic efficacy. Polymers like polyvinyl alcohol, poly (lactic acid) (PLA), poly (caprolactone) (PCL) etc can be used during manufacturing. Results: Varying number of dosage forms can be produced using 3D printing technology including immediate release tablets, pulsatile release tablets, and transdermal dosage forms etc. The 3D printing technology can be explored successfully to develop personalized medicines which could play a vital role in the treatment of lifethreatening diseases. Particularly, for patients taking multiple medicines, 3D printing method could be explored to design a single dosage in which various drugs can be incorporated. Further 3D printing based personalized drug delivery system could also be investigated in chemotherapy of cancer patients with the added advantage of the reduction in adverse effects. Conclusion: In this article, we have reviewed 3D printing technology and its uses in personalized medicine. Further, we also discussed the different techniques and materials used in drug delivery based on 3D printing along with various applications of the technology.

Bioethical and Legal Issues in 3D Bioprinting

“…It can not only solve the issue of organ and tissue shortage for transplantation but can also overcome a number of ethical problems related to transplantation. The bioprinting technologies can also contribute to the emergence of a new paradigm in medicine – personalized medicine[ 13 ], including personalized drug delivery[ 14 ]. Successes in the field of bioprinting announce the promising possibility for replacing bones, cartilage, blood vessels, and internal organs (heart, kidneys, liver, etc.)…”

Biomedical Applications of Polymeric Microneedles for Transdermal Therapeutic Delivery and Diagnosis: Current Status and Future Perspectives

“…Due to the versatility and tunability to rapidly fabricate physical models of any geometrical shape up to micron scale with the computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, [80] 3D printing technology has been utilized for the personalized fabrication of polymeric microneedles with desired shapes and architectures in the last decade. [81,82] 3D printing is a rapid prototyping technology based on layer-by-layer printing and layer-by-layer superposition, which has the advantages of high accuracy, good reproducibility, and one-step fabrication and can meet personalized needs. [83,84] The currently commonly utilized manufacturing technologies of 3D printing for the fabrication of polymeric microneedles mainly include inkjet printing, photopolymerization-based technique, and fused deposition modelling (FDM).…”

Recent Advances in 3D Printing for Parenteral Applications

“…3D printing allows for quick and flexible design and production of patient-personalized parenteral medicines, with precise control over size and shape, porosity, and mechanical properties of printed constructs [ 2 ]. For example, 3D printing technology enables researchers to produce scaffolds with tunable drug release kinetics by modulating pore size/architecture as well as shape of printed constructs [ 3 ].…”