Chitosan, a natural based polymer obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin, is non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable. These properties make chitosan a good candidate for the development of conventional and novel drug delivery systems. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the chemical modification of chitosan in order to improve its solubility and widen its applications. Chemical modification of chitosan is useful for the association of bioactive molecules to the polymer and controlling the drug release profile. Chemical modification will introduce desired properties and enlarge the field of the potential applications of chitosan with the choice of various types of side chains. In this monograph, recent studies on the various types of chitosan microspheres are discussed from the viewpoint of drug delivery applications. Moreover, different types of chitosan derivatives developed as controlled drug delivery carriers and their preparation methods are discussed in detail. The modifications discussed here include amphiphilic chitosan derivatives, N-(aminoalkyl) chitosan, carboxymethyl chitosan, thiolated chitosans, phosphorylated chitosan, etc. Special emphasis has been given to the development of chitosan-based polyelectrolyte complexes, graft copolymerized chitosan and chitosan-based stimuli-responsive hydrogels as drug delivery carriers. The reviewed studies lead to the conclusion that chitosan derivatives are promising materials for the controlled delivery of various types of therapeutic agents.

Chitosan, a natural based polymer obtained by alkaline deacetylation of chitin, is non-toxic, biocompatible, and biodegradable. These properties make chitosan a good candidate for the development of conventional and novel drug delivery systems. Recently, there has been a growing interest in the chemical modification of chitosan in order to improve its solubility and widen its applications. This new monograph in the ASME-Momentum Press series on Biomedical & Nanomedical Technologies book shows how chemical modification of chitosan is useful for promising materials for the controlled delivery of various types of therapeutic agents.

Chitosan in Drug Delivery provides thorough insights into chitosan chemistry, collection, chemical modifications, characterization and applications in the pharmaceutical industry and healthcare fields. The book explores molecular weight, degree of deacetylation and molecular geometry, emphasizing recent advances in the field as written by academic, industry and regulatory scientists. It will be a useful resource for pharmaceutical scientists, including industrial pharmacists, analytical scientists, postgraduate students, health care professionals and regulatory scientists actively involved in pharmaceutical product and process development in natural polymers containing drug delivery. Provides methodologies for the design, development and selection of chitosan in drug delivery for particular therapeutic applications Includes illustrations demonstrating the mechanism of biological interaction of chitosan Discusses the regulatory aspects and demonstrates the clinical efficacy of chitosan

This volume presents the recent developments on the biomedical applications of chitosan and its derivatives. Chitosan exhibits unique properties such as non-toxicity, biodegradability and biocompatibility. Since its chemical structure and properties can be easily modified, it can be an ideal candidate as a biomaterial. Consequently, chitosan and its derivatives are being developed in different forms such as nanoparticles, micelles, nanofibers, hydrogels, films and 3D porous materials for various biomedical applications, ranging from drug and gene delivery to tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The chapters of this volume focus on the potential use of chitosan and its derivatives as a hemostatic agent, tissue sealants, tissue engineering scaffolds, delivery carriers for bioactive molecules in bone tissue engineering and wound dressings. Some chapter’s deal with recent advancements of chitosan-based biomaterials as a drug, gene and transdermal drug delivery carrier. In addition, the volume focusses on the prospects of chitosan-based systems for the treatment of cancer, eye and other infectious diseases. The volume will be of interest to material scientists, chemists and biotechnologists by providing a better understanding of the physicochemical and biological characteristics of chitosan and its derivatives to develop more appropriate and innovative chitosan-based materials modified for unlimited practical applications in biomedical fields.

Polymeric Nanoparticles of Chitosan Derivatives as DNA and siRNA Carriers, by Y. K. Kim, H. L. Jiang, Y. J. Choi, I. K. Park, M. H. Cho and C. S. Cho.- Chitosan and Its Derivatives for Drug Delivery Perspective, by T. A. Sonia and C. P. Sharma.- Chitosan-based Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy, by V.-K. Lakshmanan, K. S. Snima, J. D. Bumgardner, S. V. Nair, and R. Jayakumar.- Chitosan and Thiolated Chitosan, by F. Sarti and A. Bernkop-Schnürch.- Chitosan-Based Particulate Systems for Non-Invasive Vaccine Delivery, by S. Şenel.- Multifunctional Chitosan Nanoparticles for Tumor Imaging and Therapy, by J. Y. Yhee, Heebeom Koo, Dong Eun Lee, Kuiwon Choi, Ick Chan Kwon and Kwangmeyung Kim.- Chitosan-Coated Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Molecular Imaging and Drug Delivery, by H. Arami, Z. Stephen, O. Veiseh and M. Zhang.- Chitosan: Its Applications in Drug-Eluting Devices, by Mei -Chin Chen, Fwu -Long Mi, Zi -Xian Liao and Hsing -Wen Sung.-

Offers a comprehensive guide to the isolation, properties and applications of chitin and chitosan Chitin and Chitosan: Properties and Applications presents a comprehensive review of the isolation, properties and applications of chitin and chitosan. These promising biomaterials have the potential to be broadly applied and there is a growing market for these biopolymers in areas such as medical and pharmaceutical, packaging, agricultural, textile, cosmetics, nanoparticles and more. The authors – noted experts in the field – explore the isolation, characterization and the physical and chemical properties of chitin and chitosan. They also examine their properties such as hydrogels, immunomodulation and biotechnology, antimicrobial activity and chemical enzymatic modifications. The book offers an analysis of the myriad medical and pharmaceutical applications as well as a review of applications in other areas. In addition, the authors discuss regulations, markets and perspectives for the use of chitin and chitosan. This important book: Offers a thorough review of the isolation, properties and applications of chitin and chitosan. Contains information on the wide-ranging applications and growing market demand for chitin and chitosan Includes a discussion of current regulations and the outlook for the future Written for Researchers in academia and industry who are working in the fields of chitin and chitosan, Chitin and Chitosan: Properties and Applications offers a review of these promising biomaterials that have great potential due to their material properties and biological functionalities.

Chitosan is a linear polysaccharide commercially produced by the deacetylation of chitin. It is non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, and acts as a bioadhesive with otherwise unstable biomolecules - making it a valuable component in the formulation of biopharmaceutical drugs. Chitosan-Based Systems for Biopharmaceuticals provides an extensive overview of the application of chitosan and its derivatives in the development and optimisation of biopharmaceuticals. The book is divided in four different parts. Part I discusses general aspects of chitosan and its derivatives, with particular emphasis on issues related to the development of biopharmaceutical chitosan-based systems. Part II deals with the use of chitosan and derivatives in the formulation and delivery of biopharmaceuticals, and focuses on the synergistic effects between chitosan and this particular subset of pharmaceuticals. Part III discusses specific applications of chitosan and its derivatives for biopharmaceutical use. Finally, Part IV presents diverse viewpoints on different issues such as regulatory, manufacturing and toxicological requirements of chitosan and its derivatives related to the development of biopharmaceutical products, as well as their patent status, and clinical application and potential. Topics covered include: chemical and technological advances in chitins and chitosans useful for the formulation of biopharmaceuticals physical properties of chitosan and derivatives in sol and gel states absorption promotion properties of chitosan and derivatives biocompatibility and biodegradation of chitosan and derivatives biological and pharmacological activity of chitosan and derivatives biological, chemical and physical compatibility of chitosan and biopharmaceuticals approaches for functional modification or crosslinking of chitosan use of chitosan and derivatives in conventional biopharmaceutical dosage forms manufacture techniques of chitosan-based microparticles and nanoparticles for biopharmaceuticals chitosan and derivatives for biopharmaceutical use: mucoadhesive properties chitosan-based systems for mucosal delivery of biopharmaceuticals chitosan-based delivery systems for mucosal vaccination chitosan-based nanoparticulates for oral delivery of biopharmaceuticals chitosan-based systems for ocular delivery of biopharmaceuticals chemical modification of chitosan for delivery of DNA and siRNA target-specific chitosan-based nanoparticle systems for nucleic acid delivery functional PEGylated chitosan systems for biopharmaceuticals stimuli-sensitive chitosan-based systems for biopharmaceuticals chitosan copolymers for biopharmaceuticals application of chitosan for anti-cancer biopharmaceutical delivery chitosan-based biopharmaceuticals scaffolds in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine wound healing properties of chitosan and its use in wound dressing biopharmaceuticals toxicological properties of chitosan and derivatives for biopharmaceutical applications regulatory status of chitosan and derivatives patentability and intellectual property issues quality control and good manufacturing practice preclinical and clinical use of chitosan and derivatives for biopharmaceuticals Chitosan-Based Systems for Biopharmaceuticals is an important compendium of fundamental concepts, practical tools and applications of chitosan-based biopharmaceuticals for researchers in academia and industry working in drug formulation and delivery, biopharmaceuticals, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy, bioengineering and new materials development.