The book presents novel carrier systems for the targeted and controlled drug delivery for the treatment of various diseases which are difficult to be treated with conventional drug delivery systems like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and emerging infectious diseases. It also reviews the origins and applications of stimuli-responsive polymer systems and polymer therapeutics such as polymer-protein and polymer-drug conjugates. The book also explores the potential applications of the parenteral route of administration for the delivery of active pharmaceutical substances with a narrow therapeutic index and poor bioavailability. Further, the book presents common routes of administration for the systemic delivery of peptides and proteins. It also examines the applications of various implantable systems in drug delivery. The book also covers the important colloidal drug delivery systems, including liposomes and niosomes and solid lipid nanoparticles, and nanostructured lipid carriers. Towards,the end, the book discusses the therapeutic potential of biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles for controlled drug delivery. Authoritative and thorough, this book is a valuable resource for researchers working on a multidisciplinary approach to employing drug delivery systems.

The goal of every drug delivery system is to deliver the precise amount of a drug at a pre-programmed rate to the desired location in order to achieve the drug level necessary for the treatment. An essential guide for biomedical engineers and pharmaceutical designers, this resource combines physicochemical principles with physiological processes to facilitate the design of systems that will deliver medication at the time and place it is most needed.

The chapters in this volume describe a powerful emerging approach for the therapy of disease. Targeted drug delivery, that is control of the kinetic behavior, tissue distribution, and subcellular localization of pharmaco logically active agents, offers an important means for improving the efficacy of a wide variety of drug therapies. This is particularly true for therapeutic approaches based on newer agents which are the products of recombinant DNA research. These agents, be they peptides, proteins, or oligonucleotides, tend to be larger, more complex, and less stable than traditional drugs. Thus they stand to benefit most from drug delivery systems which can protect them from premature degradation and which can carry them to critical target sites in the body. This volume examines several important aspects of the current state of drug delivery research; it also attempts to project future directions for this field. Successful approaches to drug targeting are based, first of all, on a sophisticated understanding of the biological barriers encountered by the drug-carrier complex as it moves from the portal of administration to the ultimate target site. A second aspect of successful drug delivery is appro priate matching of the disease entity with the pharmacologically active substance and with the delivery system. Thus it is important to be aware of the variety of delivery technologies which currently exist and to be sensitive to their strengths and limitations.

This book will describe current research on drug delivery systems that encompass four broad categories, namely: routes of delivery, delivery vehicles, payload, and targeting strategies. Where appropriate delivery vehicles and relevant release of specific agents in any of these categories in clinical application will be discussed. All chapters will highlight the translational aspects of the various technologies discussed and will provide insights into the advantages of such delivery systems over current ones in clinical or research use. Each technology reviewed in this book will have significant potential to improve patients' lives by enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of drugs. This book: Discusses the various factors that mitigate effective oral insulin delivery and the current status of research efforts to overcome these barriers along with recent clinical projections Examines the advantages and disadvantages of each drug delivery system Examines the standard method of accomplishing controlled drug release through the incorporation of the drugs within polymeric biomaterials such as capsules and microcapsules as well as other vehicles such as liposomes Discusses various controlled drug delivery systems, including sustained release delivery systems and pulse or delayed release, e.g. to target different regions of the gastrointestinal tract. In view of these wide-ranging technological areas, and the up-to-date discussions of opportunities and challenges associated with these applications, the book should provide readers from technology, materials science, pharmacology and clinical disciplines with very valuable information.

The concept of focal controlled drug delivery has been applied for treating illnesses that are localized to a certain tissue or organ. These delivery systems are applied directly to the diseased site and deliver a desired dose for an extended time period while minimizing systemic distribution of toxic drug. Controlled drug delivery systems have been focused on oral extended release formulations and on systemic delivery of small drugs and peptides. Despite the upsurge of interest in focal targeted drug delivery, there is currently no single reference text on the subject. By comparison, there are numerous authored and edited books on oral, systemic and transdermal drug delivery or books on biodegradable polymers as drug carriers. Thus, the aim of Focal Drug Delivery is to bring together leading experts and researchers in the field to provide an authoritative account of the essential pharmaceutical, technological, physiological and biological sciences underpinning the topic. In addition, the book will review advances in treatment options for diseases localized at a certain tissue or organ.

This book approaches the subject from a mechanistic perspective that pitches the language at a level that is understandable to those entering the field and who are not familiar with its common phrases or complex terms. It provides a simple encapsulation of concepts and expands on them. In each chapter the basic concept is explained as simply and clearly as possible without a great deal of detail, then in subsequent sections additional material, exceptions to the general rule, examples, etc., is introduced and built up. Such material was generously supplemented with diagrams; conceptually elegant line diagrams in two or three colors. The artwork was well thought out and able to condense the scientific principles into a novel and visually exciting form. The diagrams encourage browsing or draw the reader to salient points. In addition, the technique of highlighting key concepts in a separate box is used throughout each chapter.