Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 20, 2026

10:28
An Injectable and Drug-loaded Supramolecular Hydrogel for Local Catheter Injection into the Pig Heart
Published on: June 7, 2015
[Progress in the controlled release systems of hirudin]
Summary
Hirudin effectively treats cardiovascular disorders using polymeric controlled release systems. Local delivery via endovascular stents shows promise for treating restenosis and cardiovascular thrombosis.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Pharmacology
- Cardiovascular Medicine
Context:
- Cardiovascular disorders pose significant health challenges.
- Restenosis and thrombosis are critical complications requiring effective therapeutic strategies.
- Current treatments often lack targeted delivery, leading to systemic side effects.
Purpose:
- To review polymeric controlled release systems for hirudin.
- To discuss the advantages of local hirudin delivery for restenosis.
- To evaluate the feasibility of endovascular drug-containing stents for cardiovascular thrombosis.
Summary:
- Hirudin, a potent anticoagulant, is explored for cardiovascular applications.
- Various polymeric controlled release systems are introduced for sustained hirudin delivery.
- The review highlights the potential of localized hirudin administration to manage cardiovascular conditions.
Impact:
- This review provides insights into advanced drug delivery systems for hirudin.
- It emphasizes the therapeutic potential of localized hirudin therapy in cardiovascular medicine.
- Findings may guide the development of novel stent-based therapies for preventing restenosis and thrombosis.
Related Concept Videos
Anticoagulant Drugs: Low-Molecular-Weight Heparins
Hemostasis is a crucial process that prevents excessive blood loss from damaged blood vessels. It involves various mechanisms such as vasoconstriction, platelet adhesion and activation, and fibrin formation. The importance of each mechanism depends on the type of vessel injury. In contrast, thrombosis is the abnormal formation of a blood clot within the blood vessels, leading to potential complications if the clot obstructs blood flow. Thrombosis can be caused by increased coagulability of the...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Rate-Programmed II
Rate-programmed drug delivery systems release drugs in a controlled manner to maintain therapeutic levels. Three main designs include reservoir, matrix, and hybrid systems.Reservoir systems consist of a drug core enclosed within a membrane that controls drug release. In non-swelling reservoir systems, polymers like ethyl cellulose or polymethacrylates are used. These do not hydrate in aqueous media and control release through membrane thickness, porosity, or insolubility. This type includes...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Drug Release Characteristics
Drug release from modified-release dosage forms is designed to achieve specific therapeutic effects by controlling the rate and extent of drug release. The classification of these drug release systems is based on key pharmacokinetic assumptions: drug disposition follows first-order kinetics, drug release is the rate-limiting step in absorption, and the released drug is rapidly and completely absorbed.There are four major models of drug release patterns. The first model is the slow zero-order...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Rate-Programmed I
Rate-programmed drug delivery systems (DDS) are designed to release drugs at specific, controlled rates to maintain consistent therapeutic levels. These systems are categorized based on their release mechanisms, including dissolution-controlled DDS, diffusion-controlled DDS, and combined dissolution-diffusion-controlled DDS.In dissolution-controlled DDS, the release rate depends on the slow dissolution of the drug itself or the surrounding matrix. Drugs with inherently slow dissolution rates,...
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Stimuli-Activated
Stimuli-activated drug delivery systems are designed to release drugs in response to specific physical, chemical, or biological stimuli. These systems often utilize hydrogels—three-dimensional, hydrophilic polymer networks capable of swelling in aqueous environments and retaining significant fluid volumes. Upon exposure to particular stimuli, these hydrogels undergo structural transitions that allow the embedded drug to be released. Due to this adaptive behavior, such systems are also called...
Venous Thrombosis III: Interprofessional Care
Venous thrombosis requires effective prevention and treatment strategies to improve patient outcomes and reduce potential complications.Prevention StrategiesHealthcare providers must prioritize preventing venous thromboembolism (VTE) for all adult patients upon admission. Interventions depend on bleeding and thrombosis risk, medical history, current medications, diagnoses, planned procedures, and patient preferences. Patients on bed rest should change positions every two hours and, if not...

