Novel bioactive drug delivery systems

Investigator: Arturo E. Aguilar (Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico)

 

Supervisors: Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini

 

Drug delivery systems (DDS) continue to be a promising area for applications of biopolymers like polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs). PHAs provide a polymeric matrix with attractive properties suitable for biomedical applications such as intrinsic biocompatibility and biodegradation behaviour [1]. Moreover, PHAs can be synthetized by renewable sources. In this project PHAs will be used to develop spherical DDS incorporating bioactive glass particles, to impact mineralisation ability, and magnetic nanoparticles like SPIONs to achieve targeted release capability, following our previously published study [2].

 

1. Rai, R., et al., Medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates, promising new biomedical materials for the future. Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports, 2011. __72(3): p. 29-47.

2. Idris, M.I., et al., Surface Modification of SPIONs in PHBV Microspheres for Biomedical Applications.Scientific Reports, 2018. 8(1): p. 7286.