Physically Facilitating drug-delivery Systems

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.

Characterization of a Setup to test the Impact of High-Amplitude Pressure Waves on Living Cells

“…For example, as discussed above, it is possible to permeabilize living cells with pressure waves giving rise to transfection applications 16 . A permeabilization may also have possible applications in drug delivery 15 . For these applications it is essential that the pressure wave decay is not too strong.…”

“…With the help of real-time magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the tumor tissue is brought into the focal region 14 , where the temperature is increased above 60°C, thus leading to cell death by coagulative necrosis 3 . In addition to this immediate destructive effect due to heating of cells, ultrasound and shock waves can also transiently permeabilize living cells, which allows for applications in drug delivery and gene transfection 4 15 16 17 .…”

Tailored nanocarriers and bioconjugates for combating glioblastoma and other brain tumors

“…Physical manipulation can be achieved via ultrasound, electric, magnetic, or photonic-emission technologies. [125] Davalos et al [126] applied pulsed electric fields into brain tissue of an animal to cause temporary disruption of the BBB. There are examples of using electromagnetic field pulses to induce the permeability of the BBB.…”

Radiofrequency-Triggered Release for On-Demand Delivery of Therapeutics From Titania Nanotube Drug-Eluting Implants

“…Hence, to replace these passive drug-releasing materials, new DDSs that can be repeatedly switched on and off would be a more attractive and desirable solution. To this end, several new responsive ('smart') materials have been developed that can respond to stimuli that are either internal (body temperature and pH) or external (applied ultrasound, magnetic and electric field) to the patients [28][29][30][31]. We have shown the feasibility of applying a stimulus-responsive drug release from TNT using magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic fields to generate a prompt and instant release of drugs [24].…”