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Updated: Feb 10, 2026

Trans-Tympanic Drug Delivery for the Treatment of Ototoxicity
Published on: March 16, 2018
Advances in Biomaterials for Drug Delivery
Owen S Fenton1,2, Katy N Olafson1,2, Padmini S Pillai1,2
1Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, 02142, USA.
Abstract:
Advances in biomaterials for drug delivery are enabling significant progress in biology and medicine. Multidisciplinary collaborations between physical scientists, engineers, biologists, and clinicians generate innovative strategies and materials to treat a range of diseases. Specifically, recent advances include major breakthroughs in materials for cancer immunotherapy, autoimmune diseases, and genome editing. Here, strategies for the design and implementation of biomaterials for drug delivery are reviewed. A brief history of the biomaterials field is first established, and then commentary on RNA delivery, responsive materials development, and immunomodulation are provided. Current challenges associated with these areas as well as opportunities to address long-standing problems in biology and medicine are discussed throughout.
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Overview of Advanced Functional Groups
Functional groups are groups of atoms with specific chemical properties that occur within organic molecules and are sometimes denoted as “R”. Functional groups can “functionalize” a compound by enabling it to adopt different physical and chemical properties.
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The table below summarizes some of the major functional groups in organic chemistry.
Extraction: Advanced Methods

