New Approaches in Drug Delivery Systems: Application for Diabetes Treatment

Jorge   F. J.   Coelho; Paula      Ferreira; Maria   H.   Gil

Abstract

Advanced drug delivery systems present indubitable advantages for drug administration. During the past three decades, new approaches for the development of new carriers for this topic have been suggested. This led to explosion of publication activity in the area. This article reviews briefly the history of the topic and focuses on general concepts in the issue. One of the most crucial properties of advanced delivery systems is their ability to be well controlled in terms of a carrier structure which is responsible for an optimal drug release. Here we describe new polymerization technologies which consider this particular aspect. A special attention is paid to the preparation of materials by LRP (Living Radical Polymerization) and perspectives of its practical application to the treatment of single diseases. Due to the epidemic scale of Diabetes mellitus, novel drug delivery systems play an important role in and are highly relevant for improved treatment of worldwide permanently growing sub-population of diabetic patients. Type 1 is the insulin-dependent diabetes which accounts for 5 till 10 percent of the whole pool of diabetic cases and currently attracts main attention in research activity devoted to the development of advanced drug delivery systems. Minimal invasive insulin administration approaches and/or improvement of pancreatic activity in own insulin production is the main goal of novel drug delivery systems highly desirable for advanced treatment of diabetic patients with both type 1 and type 2 of the disease.

Keywords: Living radical polymerization, drug delivery systems, cells encapsulation, Diabetes mellitus