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Synthetic Polymers in Drug Delivery Systems
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Synthetic Polymers in Drug Delivery Systems

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Macromolecules".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2025 | Viewed by 11013

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Marcel Popa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
“Cristofor Simionescu” Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Environment Protection, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University, Iasi, Romania
Interests: polysaccharide modification; bioactive polymers; biomaterials; hydrogels; interpenetrated networks; micro- and nanoparticles (spheres and capsules); hybrid and functionalized nanoparticles for drug targeting; drug delivery; polymer–drug conjugates
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Silvia Vasiliu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, No. 41 A, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: graft polymerization; n-vinylimidazole; gellan gum; betaine structure; nanoparticles; smart polymers; dental applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The use of synthetic polymers for obtaining systems capable of encapsulating, transporting, and delivering drugs in a sustained/controlled manner is a field of great interest, as evidenced by the fact that extensive research has been conducted in recent decades. Despite the diversity of modern synthetic polymers, only a limited number of them can be used for biomedical purposes since they must be biocompatible, non-cytotoxic, often biodegradable and bioresorbable. However, the modulation of their structure, molecular weight, functionality and physico-chemical properties can create a wide range of drug-carrying formulations, explaining the growing interest in synthetic polymers.

This Special Issue aims to present the latest findings regarding biologically active principle systems of synthetic polymers in different formats, including tablets, hydrogels (simple networks, full IPN and semi-IPN), biocomposites, micro- and nanoparticles (including hybrid, magnetic or those functionalized on the surface with ligands recognizable by cell receptors specific to different organs), micro- and nanocapsules, nanofibers, micelles, polymersomes, inserts, implants, nanoemulsions, etc. Regular research articles and reviews will be accepted for publication in this Special Issue.

Prof. Dr. Marcel Popa
Dr. Silvia Vasiliu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • synthetic polymers
  • amphiphilic copolymers
  • dendrimers
  • drug delivery systems
  • micro/nanoparticles
  • hydrogels
  • micelles
  • nanofibers
  • biocomposites
  • nanoemulsions

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 6224 KiB  
Article
Green Synthesis and the Evaluation of a Functional Amphiphilic Block Copolymer as a Micellar Curcumin Delivery System
by Radostina Kalinova, Georgy Grancharov, Jordan Doumanov, Kirilka Mladenova, Svetla Petrova and Ivaylo Dimitrov
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(13), 10588; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241310588 - 24 Jun 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1467
Abstract
Polymer micelles represent one of the most attractive drug delivery systems due to their design flexibility based on a variety of macromolecular synthetic methods. The environmentally safe chemistry in which the use or generation of hazardous materials is minimized has an increasing impact [...] Read more.
Polymer micelles represent one of the most attractive drug delivery systems due to their design flexibility based on a variety of macromolecular synthetic methods. The environmentally safe chemistry in which the use or generation of hazardous materials is minimized has an increasing impact on polymer-based drug delivery nanosystems. In this work, a solvent-free green synthetic procedure was applied for the preparation of an amphiphilic diblock copolymer consisting of biodegradable hydrophobic poly(acetylene-functional carbonate) and biocompatible hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) blocks. The cyclic functional carbonate monomer 5-methyl-5-propargyloxycarbonyl-1,3-dioxane-2-one (MPC) was polymerized in bulk using methoxy PEG-5K as a macroinitiator by applying the metal-free organocatalyzed controlled ring-opening polymerization at a relatively low temperature of 60 °C. The functional amphiphilic block copolymer self-associated in aqueous media into stable micelles with an average diameter of 44 nm. The copolymer micelles were physico-chemically characterized and loaded with the plant-derived anticancer drug curcumin. Preliminary in vitro evaluations indicate that the functional copolymer micelles are non-toxic and promising candidates for further investigation as nanocarriers for biomedical applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthetic Polymers in Drug Delivery Systems)
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26 pages, 3229 KiB  
Article
Preparation and Characterization of Poly(vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) and In Vitro Application as Contact Lens for Acyclovir Delivery
by Saad Mohammed Alqahtani, Rana Salem Al Khulaifi, Mohammed Alassaf, Waseem Sharaf Saeed, Idriss Bedja, Amal Aldarwesh, Abeer Aljubailah, Abdelhabib Semlali and Taieb Aouak
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(6), 5483; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24065483 - 13 Mar 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3602
Abstract
A series of poly(vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)/acyclovir drug carrier systems (HEMAVAC) containing different acyclovir contents was prepared through bulk free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with vinyl acetate (VAc) in presence of acyclovir (ACVR) as the drug using a LED lamp in presence of camphorquinone [...] Read more.
A series of poly(vinyl acetate-co-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate)/acyclovir drug carrier systems (HEMAVAC) containing different acyclovir contents was prepared through bulk free radical polymerization of 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate with vinyl acetate (VAc) in presence of acyclovir (ACVR) as the drug using a LED lamp in presence of camphorquinone as the photoinitiator. The structure of the drug carrier system was confirmed by FTIR and 1HNMR analysis, and the uniform dispersion of the drug particles in the carrier was proved by DSC and XRD analysis. The study of the physico-chemical properties of the prepared materials, such as the transparency, swelling capacity, wettability and optical refraction, was carried out by UV–visible analysis, a swelling test and measurement of the contact angle and the refractive index, respectively. The elastic modulus and the yield strength of the wet prepared materials were examined by dynamic mechanical analysis. The cytotoxicity of the prepared materials and cell adhesion on these systems were studied by LDH assay and the MTT test, respectively. The results obtained were comparable to those of standard lenses with a transparency of 76.90–89.51%, a swelling capacity of 42.23–81.80% by weight, a wettability of 75.95–89.04°, a refractive index of 1.4301–1.4526 and a modulus of elasticity of 0.67–1.50 MPa, depending on the ACVR content. It was also shown that these materials exhibit no significant cytotoxicity; on the other hand, they show significant cell adhesion. The in vitro dynamic release of ACVR in water revealed that the HEMAVAC drug carrier can consistently deliver uniformly adequate amounts of ACVR (5.04–36 wt%) over a long period (7 days) in two steps. It was also found that the solubility of ACVR obtained from the release process was improved by 1.4 times that obtained by direct solubility of the drug in powder form at the same temperature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthetic Polymers in Drug Delivery Systems)
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Review

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48 pages, 5392 KiB  
Review
Hydrogels Based on Proteins Cross-Linked with Carbonyl Derivatives of Polysaccharides, with Biomedical Applications
by Chahrazed Mahmoudi, Naïma Tahraoui Douma, Hacene Mahmoudi, Camelia Elena Iurciuc (Tincu) and Marcel Popa
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25(14), 7839; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms25147839 - 17 Jul 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1475
Abstract
Adding carbonyl groups into the hydrogel matrix improves the stability and biocompatibility of the hydrogels, making them suitable for different biomedical applications. In this review article, we will discuss the use of hydrogels based on polysaccharides modified by oxidation, with particular attention paid [...] Read more.
Adding carbonyl groups into the hydrogel matrix improves the stability and biocompatibility of the hydrogels, making them suitable for different biomedical applications. In this review article, we will discuss the use of hydrogels based on polysaccharides modified by oxidation, with particular attention paid to the introduction of carbonyl groups. These hydrogels have been developed for several applications in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing. The review article discusses the mechanism by which oxidized polysaccharides can introduce carbonyl groups, leading to the development of hydrogels through cross-linking with proteins. These hydrogels have tunable mechanical properties and improved biocompatibility. Hydrogels have dynamic properties that make them promising biomaterials for various biomedical applications. This paper comprehensively analyzes hydrogels based on cross-linked proteins with carbonyl groups derived from oxidized polysaccharides, including microparticles, nanoparticles, and films. The applications of these hydrogels in tissue engineering, drug delivery, and wound healing are also discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthetic Polymers in Drug Delivery Systems)
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22 pages, 1825 KiB  
Review
In Vivo Applications of Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Drug Delivery: A Pharmaceutical Perspective
by Alexandra-Iulia Bărăian, Bogdan-Cezar Iacob, Andreea Elena Bodoki and Ede Bodoki
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2022, 23(22), 14071; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms232214071 - 15 Nov 2022
Cited by 20 | Viewed by 3247
Abstract
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been proven to be a promising candidate for drug delivery systems (DDS) due to their ability to provide a sustained and controlled drug release, making them useful for treating a wide range of medical conditions. MIP-based DDS offer [...] Read more.
Molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) have been proven to be a promising candidate for drug delivery systems (DDS) due to their ability to provide a sustained and controlled drug release, making them useful for treating a wide range of medical conditions. MIP-based DDS offer many advantages, including the administration of a smaller drug doses, due to the higher drug payload or targeted delivery, resulting in fewer side effects, as well as the possibility of attaining high concentrations of the drug in the targeted tissues. Whether designed as drug reservoirs or targeted DDS, MIPs are of great value to drug delivery as conventional drug formulations can be redesigned as DDS to overcome the active pharmaceutical ingredient’s (APIs) poor bioavailability, toxic effects, or other shortcomings that previously made them less efficient or unsuitable for therapy. Therefore, MIP design could be a promising alternative to the challenging research and development of new lead compounds. Research on MIPs is primarily conducted from a material science perspective, which often overlooks some of their key pharmaceutical requirements. In this review, we emphasize the specific features that make MIPs suitable for clinical use, from both a material science and a biopharmaceutical perspective. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthetic Polymers in Drug Delivery Systems)
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