Collagen--biomaterial for drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Tissue Engineering
• Drug Delivery Systems

Background:

• Collagen is experiencing a resurgence as a biomaterial in tissue engineering.
• Biotechnological applications leverage collagen for cellular growth and protein delivery.
• Understanding collagen biochemistry, processing, and physicochemical properties is crucial for effective carrier systems.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review collagen dosage forms for drug delivery applications.
• To provide an overview of collagen's chemical structures and galenical properties.
• To detail processing steps including extraction, purification, crosslinking, and sterilization.

Main Methods:

• Literature review summarizing available information on collagen drug delivery.
• Analysis of chemical structures and galenical properties of collagen.
• Description of collagen processing techniques: extraction, purification, crosslinking, sterilization.

Main Results:

• Successful applications include ophthalmic shields, injectable tumor treatments, antibiotic sponges, and protein-eluting minipellets.
• Collagen offers versatile drug delivery capabilities.
• Scientific data on manipulating collagen release properties and mechanistic studies are less abundant compared to synthetic polymers.

Conclusions:

• Collagen is a promising biomaterial for advanced drug delivery systems.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate and optimize collagen's drug release mechanisms.