Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026

Systemic and Local Drug Delivery for Treating Diseases of the Central Nervous System in Rodent Models
Published on: August 16, 2010
Sequential drug delivery for liver diseases
Xiaozhong Huang1, Fan Lee2, Yao Teng1
1Department of Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, MD9-04-11, 2 Medical Drive, Singapore 117593, Singapore; Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, A*STAR, The Nanos, #06-01, 31 Biopolis Way, Singapore 138669, Singapore.
Abstract:
The liver performs critical physiological functions such as metabolism/detoxification and blood homeostasis/biliary excretion. A high degree of blood access means that a drug's resident time in any cell is relatively short. This short drug exposure to cells requires local sequential delivery of multiple drugs for optimal efficacy, potency, and safety. The high metabolism and excretion of drugs also impose both technical challenges and opportunities to sequential drug delivery. This review provides an overview of the sequential events in liver regeneration and the related liver diseases. Using selected examples of liver cancer, hepatitis B viral infection, fatty liver diseases, and drug-induced liver injury, we highlight efforts made for the sequential delivery of small and macromolecular drugs through different biomaterials, cells, and microdevice-based delivery platforms that allow fast delivery kinetics and rapid drug switching. As this is a nascent area of development, we extrapolate and compare the results with other sequential drug delivery studies to suggest possible application in liver diseases, wherever appropriate.
Related Concept Videos
Drug Delivery: Overview
Enteral delivery involves administering drugs directly through swallowing, sublingual placement, or buccal application. Orally administered drugs predominantly navigate the gastrointestinal...
Drug Delivery: Enteral Route
Drugs in...
Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs through the...
Effect of Hepatic Disease on Pharmacokinetics: Drug Dosing and Hepatic Blood Flow
Modified-Release Drug Delivery Systems: Site-Targeted
Oral Drug Delivery Systems: Continuous-Release Systems

