**Contents**


## **About the Editors**

**Prof. Beatriz Clares** is affiliated with the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Granada, Spain. She graduated in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the same University (1997), achieving her Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Technology at the University of Granada (2003). She joined the University of Granada as an Assistant Professor in 2007, obtaining a permanent post in 2013. She is a member of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the University of Barcelona, Biosanitary Research Institute of Granada, Controlled Release Society, Spanish Society of Pharmacology, and Technological Institute of Individualized Medicines. Her research focuses on the design, development, and characterization of new drug delivery systems, including the controlled delivery of drugs across biological barriers, with special emphasis for skin and mucosa administration. She has wide experience in publishing scientific research. She also acts as a reviewer in various international journals. Due to her merits, in 2019 she was awarded the -American Academy of Pharmacy Award, for her work throughout her scientific career.

**Prof. Ana Cristina Calpena** is a full professor at the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology and Physical Chemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Sciences, University of Barcelona, Spain. She leads the research group NanoBioPharma in the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology of the University of Barcelona (IN2UB). Her research experience encompasses the biopharmaceutical and pharmacokinetic study of all types of drugs and active ingredients, particularly through skin, as well as ocular, oral, and vaginal mucosa. She is currently focused on the field of nanobiomedicine, including the use of nano/microparticulate liquid and semi-solid formulations for drug delivery. Due to her research carried out previous years, she participates as a researcher in various projects and financed contracts in the pharmaceutical industry, whose resulting products are marketed in different countries.

## **Preface to "Nano-Micro Encapsulation of Drugs"**

The encapsulation of drugs in nano/micro-vehicles is a tremendously challenging task which is continuously evolving. The development of nano/micro-carriers is among the most important areas of pharmaceutical and biomedical research. This process provides several possibilities to facilitate drug protection and delivery at specific biological sites, among many other benefits. These two techniques (nano- and microencapsulation), as well as other relevant aspects related to optimization, cover a wide range of drug carriers, from nanoparticles, nanospheres, nanocapsules, etc., to their microsized counterparts, as well as other colloidal drug delivery systems such as liposomes, micelles, nanoemulsions, and microemulsions, among others. Thus, different materials, methods of production, possibilities of surface modification, and targetability options need to be considered. Further research into this field would certainly help to improve the therapeutic tools available at present. For this reason, this Special Issue is aimed at a wide audience of people related to the fields of nanotechnology, material science, medicine, etc.

This Special Issue also covers different aspects of the nano/microencapsulation of drugs, including papers describing the design, preparation, and characterization of nano- and micro-carrier-based drug delivery systems and the latest developments in key fields. Eight articles regarding this topic were selected for this Special Issue, demonstrating the potential of this development strategy for drug delivery in a wide range of applications (from cancer treatment to wound healing, as well as cardiovascular or ocular diseases). Prestigious experts in these fields have participated in this Special Issue, sharing their research and contributions with authors affiliated with different Universities and other renowned and well-respected institutions.

The guest editors wish to express their gratitude to all authors and collaborators that have contributed to this Special Issue, as well as the Assistant Editors of *Pharmaceutics*.

> **Beatriz Clares, Ana C. Calpena** *Editors*

*Article*
