Recent Advances in Drug Delivery System Fabricated by Microfluidics for Disease Therapy

Abstract

Traditional drug therapy faces challenges such as drug distribution throughout the body, rapid degradation and excretion, and extensive adverse reactions. In contrast, micro/nanoparticles can controllably deliver drugs to target sites to improve drug efficacy. Unlike traditional large-scale synthetic systems, microfluidics allows manipulation of fluids at the microscale and shows great potential in drug delivery and precision medicine. Well-designed microfluidic devices have been used to fabricate multifunctional drug carriers using stimuli-responsive materials. In this review, we first introduce the selection of materials and processing techniques for microfluidic devices. Then, various well-designed microfluidic chips are shown for the fabrication of multifunctional micro/nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles. Finally, we describe the interaction of drugs with lymphatic vessels that are neglected in organs-on-chips. Overall, the accelerated development of microfluidics holds great potential for the clinical translation of micro/nanoparticle drug delivery systems for disease treatment.

Droplets microfluidics platform—A tool for single cell research

“…Moreover, droplet microfluidics is widely used in biomedical research due to their simple and easy operation and high-throughput encapsulation capability. For example, droplet microfluidics has been used in drug encapsulation ( Li et al, 2022 ; Chen et al, 2023 ), targeted drug delivery ( Jia et al, 2022 ; Sartipzadeh et al, 2022 ), and multi-functionalization of carriers ( Wu et al, 2010 ).…”

An Overview of the Use of Nanoparticles in Vaccine Development

“…Normally, LNPs are produced using a microfluidic system where the aqueous phase containing the RNA is mixed with the organic phase containing the lipids dissolved in ethanol through microchannels, resulting in the precipitation of lipid nanoparticles. The size of the produced LNPs can be controlled with the gradient and speed of the precursor flows when they mixed up to nanoprecipitate the particles [ 89 ].…”

Microfluidic Devices for Precision Nanoparticle Production

“…It is with this degree of control and accuracy that the efficient creation of a wide variety of particles with different compositions and properties, designed to meet the unique requirements of drug delivery systems and other applications in nanomedicine, is possible. Fundamentally, microfluidic technologies have transformed nanoparticle production, enabling the development of highly customized and precisely manufactured particles for a variety of applications [94,95]. The numerous advantages of microfluidic methods make them a key factor in developments in a variety of industries.…”

“…without clogging the system is the major problem when using microfluidics to synthesize nanoparticles. The manufacturing of devices with intricate geometries and combinations raises production costs and complicates the manufacturing process [9,94]. Highly competent technicians are needed for both microfluidic device design and production.…”

“…A potential colloidal method for delivering and transporting chemicals is nanoemulsions. They are extensively employed in a variety of sectors, including agriculture, cosmetics, food, and medicines [94,97].…”