Published Paper Details:

drug delivery systems represent a transformative advancement in pharmaceutical science, fundamentally addressing limitations of conventional dosage forms through engineered control of drug release kinetics, pharmacokinetic profiles, and spatial biodistribution. These sophisticated carrier systems encapsulate therapeutic agents within polymer matrices, enabling sustained-release kinetics maintaining therapeutic drug concentrations over days to months from single-dose administration, substantially improving patient compliance and reducing dosing frequency. Polymers serve as intelligent gatekeepers, physically or chemically binding drug molecules while providing protection from degradation in physiological fluids, enhancing bioavailability of poorly soluble compounds, and facilitating targeting to specific tissues through surface functionalization. Natural polymers including chitosan, alginate, and gelatin offer enzymatic degradability and inherent biocompatibility, while synthetic biodegradable polyesters (polylactic acid, polyglycolic acid, polylactic-co-glycolic acid, poly-?-caprolactone) provide predictable degradation kinetics and precise manufacturing control. Emerging stimuli-responsive smart polymers demonstrate dynamic property changes in response to pH variation, temperature fluctuation, or enzyme activity, enabling conditional drug release exclusively at target disease sites. Drug loading strategies span physical encapsulation, chemical conjugation, surface adsorption, and complex coacervation, each optimized for specific drug properties and formulation objectives. Release mechanisms include diffusion-controlled pathways following Higuchi kinetics, polymer erosion and degradation through hydrolytic and enzymatic processes, and stimulus-triggered liberation through physiological triggers. Clinical applications extend across oncology, immunology, cardiovascular disease, infectious disease, and chronic pain management, with over 200 polymeric drug products currently approved globally. Biocompatibility assessment through comprehensive in vitro and in vivo testing ensures safety, while biodegradation pathways ensure metabolic clearance preventing long-term accumulation. Persistent challenges including batch-to-batch reproducibility, long-term stability, manufacturing scalability, and regulatory complexity continue requiring innovative solutions.