Biodegradable Polymers for Drug Delivery Applications

Dear colleagues, 

The use of polymers has increasingly acquired a crucial role in drug delivery systems. Different types of polymer-based systems are constantly investigated for targeted strategies and for controlled release of active principles. Biodegradable polymers are the preferred choice for the development of polymeric drug delivery systems due to their high biocompatibility and degradability properties. Canonical physiological cell activities lead to the formation of non-toxic natural products which are thereby easily eliminated thanks to the hydrolysable character of polymer backbone. Biodegradable polymers can derive from natural and synthetic sources, offering the possibility to select the appropriate polymeric materials based on the chemical nature of drugs and on its application. Hyaluronic acid (HA), chitosan, and polylactic acid (PLA) are some of the widely biodegradable polymers used in the drug delivery field. The size of polymers can be different in relation to the drug-loading approach and the biological target, allowing to avoid fast clearance upon intravenous administration, prolong circulation half-life, and at the same time, increasing the probability of crossing various biological barriers and preventing accumulation in capillaries and/or other organs. The use of biodegradable polymers modulates the pharmacokinetic properties of various active substances due to the subcellular size of systems. Polymers vectors can be developed with different molecular organizations, for example, linear or branched, at following different macromolecular structures, for example, micelles or nanoparticles.

This Special Issue aims to collect high-quality reviews and original research papers dedicated on the design of biodegradable polymer-based nano- and microparticles for drug-delivery application.

Dr. Cristina Minnelli
Dr. Emiliano Laudadio
Guest Editors

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• Biodegradable polymers
• Drug delivery
• Polymer conjugates
• Stimuli-responsive polymers
• Control release
• Biocompatibility
• Drugs