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Updated: May 27, 2025

Preparation and Characterization of Individual and Multi-drug Loaded Physically Entrapped Polymeric Micelles
Published on: August 28, 2015
The role of porosity in polyester microparticles for drug delivery
Simon Pöttgen1, Magdalena Mazurek-Budzyńska2, Christian Wischke1
1Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Institute of Pharmacy, Kurt-Mothes-Str. 3 06120 Halle, Germany.
Abstract:
Polymer microparticles are a cornerstone in the field of injectable sustained delivery systems: They allow the entrapment of various types of hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs including biopharmaceuticals. Microparticles can be prepared from the material of choice and tailored to specific target sizes. Importantly, they can retain the drug at the local administration site to achieve a sustained drug release for long-term therapeutic effects. This review focuses on the role of porosity of microparticles as a tremendously important property. Principles to prepare porous carriers via different techniques and additives are discussed, emphasizing that porosity is not a static property but can be dynamic, e.g., for particles from polylactide or poly(lactide-co-glycolide). Considering the contribution of porosity in the overall assessment of drug carrier systems, as well as their manipulation/alteration post-production such as by pore closing, will enlarge the understanding of polymer microparticles as an important class of modern pharmaceutical dosage forms.
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