Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026
09:22
Fabricating Superhydrophobic Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Applications
Published on: August 28, 2015
Time-engineeringed biphasic drug release by electrospun nanofiber meshes
Li-Ya Huang1, Christopher Branford-White, Xia-Xia Shen
1College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, Donghua University, Shanghai 201620, PR China.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics
|July 14, 2012
Summary
Researchers developed a tri-layered nanofiber mesh for controlled drug delivery. This innovative formulation enables engineered biphasic drug release, offering a promising approach for time-controlled therapeutic applications.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Controlled drug release is crucial for effective therapeutics.
- Existing systems often lack precise temporal control over drug elution.
- Nanofiber meshes offer potential for advanced drug delivery architectures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To fabricate a drug-loaded nanofiber mesh capable of time-engineered biphasic release.
- To investigate the relationship between mesh morphology and drug release kinetics.
- To demonstrate the efficacy of a tri-layered system for sequential drug delivery.
Main Methods:
- Sequential electrospinning was employed to create tri-layered drug-loaded nanofiber meshes.
- Drug-to-polymer ratios were precisely controlled for each layer.
- Morphological features (fiber diameter, mesh thickness) were systematically varied.
- In vitro drug release experiments were conducted to evaluate release profiles.
Main Results:
- The fabricated tri-layered meshes exhibited distinct morphological features in each layer.
- The system successfully achieved time-engineered biphasic drug release.
- Drug release speed and duration were effectively controlled by mesh design.
- In vitro studies confirmed the biphasic release pattern as predicted.
Conclusions:
- A novel tri-layered electrospun nanofiber mesh enables precise, time-engineered biphasic drug release.
- Morphological control of individual mesh layers is key to achieving desired release kinetics.
- This multilayered system represents a significant advancement in controlled drug delivery formulations.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Modified-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...
01:30Modified-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...
01:22Modified-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,...
01:23Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Classification
Modified-release drug delivery systems improve drug efficacy and minimize side effects by controlling the rate and location of drug release. These systems fall into three categories: rate-programmed, stimuli-activated, and site-targeted.Rate-programmed systems release drugs at a predetermined rate, maintaining consistent therapeutic levels and reducing fluctuations that could lead to toxicity or subtherapeutic effects. These systems use polymeric matrices, reservoir-based designs, or osmotic...
01:26Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Continuous-Release Systems
Continuous-release drug delivery systems offer a strategic approach to maintaining therapeutic drug levels over extended periods following oral administration. By modulating the release rate of active pharmaceutical ingredients, these systems minimize fluctuations in plasma concentrations, which enhances clinical efficacy and reduces the need for frequent dosing. Such characteristics make them particularly advantageous in managing chronic diseases where patient adherence and stable drug...