Neural injuries can cause considerable functional impairments,and both central and peripheral nervous systems have limited regenerative capacity.The existing conventional pharmacological treatments in clinical practic...Neural injuries can cause considerable functional impairments,and both central and peripheral nervous systems have limited regenerative capacity.The existing conventional pharmacological treatments in clinical practice show poor targeting,rapid drug clearance from the circulatory system,and low therapeutic efficiency.Therefore,in this review,we have first described the mechanisms underlying nerve regeneration,characterized the biomaterials used for drug delivery to facilitate nerve regeneration,and highlighted the functionalization strategies used for such drug-delivery systems.These systems mainly use natural and synthetic polymers,inorganic materials,and hybrid systems with advanced drug-delivery abilities,including nanoparticles,hydrogels,and scaffoldbased systems.Then,we focused on comparing the types of drug-delivery systems for neural regeneration as well as the mechanisms and challenges associated with targeted delivery of drugs to facilitate neural regeneration.Finally,we have summarized the clinical application research and limitations of targeted delivery of these drugs.These biomaterials and drug-delivery systems can provide mechanical support,sustained release of bioactive molecules,and enhanced intercellular contact,ultimately reducing cell apoptosis and enhancing functional recovery.Nevertheless,immune reactions,degradation regulation,and clinical translations remain major unresolved challenges.Future studies should focus on optimizing biomaterial properties,refining delivery precision,and overcoming translational barriers to advance these technologies toward clinical applications.展开更多
Owing to the emergence of drug resistance and high morbidity,the need for novel antiviral drugs with novel targets is highly sought after.Marine-derived compounds mostly possess potent antiviral activity and serve as ...Owing to the emergence of drug resistance and high morbidity,the need for novel antiviral drugs with novel targets is highly sought after.Marine-derived compounds mostly possess potent antiviral activity and serve as a primary source for developing novel antiviral drugs,making the rapid discovery and evaluation of marine antiviral agents particularly crucial.Thus,future research should place greater emphasis on the identification of novel antiviral targets through the combination of artificial intelligence(AI)and structural pharmacology,as well as expanding the marine resource and target databases.展开更多
BACKGROUND Drug utilization research has an important role in assisting the healthcare administration to know,compute,and refine the prescription whose principal objective is to enable the rational use of drugs.Resear...BACKGROUND Drug utilization research has an important role in assisting the healthcare administration to know,compute,and refine the prescription whose principal objective is to enable the rational use of drugs.Research in developing nations relating to the cost of treatment is scarce when compared with developed countries.Thus,the drug utilization research studies from developing nations are most needed,and their number has been growing.AIM To evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs and direct medical cost analysis in patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia.METHODS The present study was observational in type and based on a retrospective cohort to evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs using World Health Organization(WHO)core prescribing indicators and anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose indicators.We also calculated direct medical costs for a period of 6 months.RESULTS This study has found that atypical antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia in every age group and subcategories of schizophrenia.The evaluation based on WHO prescribing indicators showed a low average number of drugs per prescription and low prescribing frequency of antipsychotics from the National List of Essential Medicines 2015 and the WHO Essential Medicines List 2019.The total mean drug cost of our study was 1396 Indian rupees.The total mean cost due to the investigation in our study was 1017.34 Indian rupees.Therefore,the total mean direct medical cost incurred on patients in our study was 4337.28 Indian rupees.CONCLUSION The information from the present study can be used for reviewing and updating treatment policy at the institutional level.展开更多
Background:The development of materials for cardiovascular surgery that would improve the effectiveness of surgical interventions remains an important task.Surgical intervention during the implantation of vascular pro...Background:The development of materials for cardiovascular surgery that would improve the effectiveness of surgical interventions remains an important task.Surgical intervention during the implantation of vascular prostheses and stents,and the body’s reaction to artificial materials,could lead to chronic inflammation,a local increase in the concentration of proinflammatory factors,and stimulation of unwanted tissue growth.The introduction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs into implantable devices could be used to obtain vascular implants that do not induce inflammation and do not induce neointimal tissue outgrowth.Methods:The scaffolds were made by electrospinning from mixtures of polyurethane(PU)with diclofenac(DF).The kinetics of DF release from the scaffolds composed of 3%PU/10%HSA/3%DMSO/DF and 3%PU/DF were studied.The biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory effects of the obtained scaffolds on human gingival fibroblasts and umbilical vein endothelial cells were studied.Results:Both types of scaffolds are characterized by fast DF release.The viability of cells cultured on scaffolds is 2 times worse than that of cells cultured on plastic.The level of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the culture medium of cells cultured on DF-containing scaffolds was lower than that of cells cultured on scaffolds without DF.Conclusion:The introduction of DF into scaffolds minimizes the inflammation caused by cell reactions to an artificial material.展开更多
Pure drug nanomedicines(PDNs)encompass active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs),including macromolecules,biological compounds,and functional components.They overcome research barriers and conversion thresholds associat...Pure drug nanomedicines(PDNs)encompass active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs),including macromolecules,biological compounds,and functional components.They overcome research barriers and conversion thresholds associated with nanocarriers,offering advantages such as high drug loading capacity,synergistic treatment effects,and environmentally friendly production methods.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in PDNs,focusing on their essential components,design theories,and manufacturing techniques.The physicochemical properties and in vivo behaviors of PDNs are thoroughly analyzed to gain an in-depth understanding of their systematic characteristics.The review introduces currently approved PDN products and further explores the opportunities and challenges in expanding their depth and breadth of application.Drug nanocrystals,drug-drug cocrystals(DDCs),antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs),and nanobodies represent the successful commercialization and widespread utilization of PDNs across various disease domains.Self-assembled pure drug nanoparticles(SAPDNPs),a next-generation product,still require extensive translational research.Challenges persist in transitioning from laboratory-scale production to mass manufacturing and overcoming the conversion threshold from laboratory findings to clinical applications.展开更多
Traumatic brain injury can be categorized into primary and secondary injuries.Secondary injuries are the main cause of disability following traumatic brain injury,which involves a complex multicellular cascade.Microgl...Traumatic brain injury can be categorized into primary and secondary injuries.Secondary injuries are the main cause of disability following traumatic brain injury,which involves a complex multicellular cascade.Microglia play an important role in secondary injury and can be activated in response to traumatic brain injury.In this article,we review the origin and classification of microglia as well as the dynamic changes of microglia in traumatic brain injury.We also clarify the microglial polarization pathways and the therapeutic drugs targeting activated microglia.We found that regulating the signaling pathways involved in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory microglia,such as the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B,mitogen-activated protein kinase,Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription,phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B,Notch,and high mobility group box 1 pathways,can alleviate the inflammatory response triggered by microglia in traumatic brain injury,thereby exerting neuroprotective effects.We also reviewed the strategies developed on the basis of these pathways,such as drug and cell replacement therapies.Drugs that modulate inflammatory factors,such as rosuvastatin,have been shown to promote the polarization of antiinflammatory microglia and reduce the inflammatory response caused by traumatic brain injury.Mesenchymal stem cells possess anti-inflammatory properties,and clinical studies have confirmed their significant efficacy and safety in patients with traumatic brain injury.Additionally,advancements in mesenchymal stem cell-delivery methods—such as combinations of novel biomaterials,genetic engineering,and mesenchymal stem cell exosome therapy—have greatly enhanced the efficiency and therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells in animal models.However,numerous challenges in the application of drug and mesenchymal stem cell treatment strategies remain to be addressed.In the future,new technologies,such as single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis,can facilitate further experimental studies.Moreover,research involving non-human primates can help translate these treatment strategies to clinical practice.展开更多
Artificial intelligence(AI)researchers and cheminformatics specialists strive to identify effective drug precursors while optimizing costs and accelerating development processes.Digital molecular representation plays ...Artificial intelligence(AI)researchers and cheminformatics specialists strive to identify effective drug precursors while optimizing costs and accelerating development processes.Digital molecular representation plays a crucial role in achieving this objective by making molecules machine-readable,thereby enhancing the accuracy of molecular prediction tasks and facilitating evidence-based decision making.This study presents a comprehensive review of small molecular representations and AI-driven drug discovery downstream tasks utilizing these representations.The research methodology begins with the compilation of small molecule databases,followed by an analysis of fundamental molecular representations and the models that learn these representations from initial forms,capturing patterns and salient features across extensive chemical spaces.The study then examines various drug discovery downstream tasks,including drug-target interaction(DTI)prediction,drug-target affinity(DTA)prediction,drug property(DP)prediction,and drug generation,all based on learned representations.The analysis concludes by highlighting challenges and opportunities associated with machine learning(ML)methods for molecular representation and improving downstream task performance.Additionally,the representation of small molecules and AI-based downstream tasks demonstrates significant potential in identifying traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)medicinal substances and facilitating TCM target discovery.展开更多
The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke are complex and multifactorial and include excitotoxicity,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,and blood–brain barrier disruption.While vascular rec...The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke are complex and multifactorial and include excitotoxicity,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,and blood–brain barrier disruption.While vascular recanalization treatments such as thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy have achieved some success,reperfusion injury remains a significant contributor to the exacerbation of brain injury.This emphasizes the need for developing neuroprotective strategies to mitigate this type of injury.The purpose of this review was to examine the application of nanotechnology in the treatment of ischemic stroke,covering research progress in nanoparticlebased drug delivery,targeted therapy,and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory applications.Nanobased drug delivery systems offer several advantages compared to traditional therapies,including enhanced blood–brain barrier penetration,prolonged drug circulation time,improved drug stability,and targeted delivery.For example,inorganic nanoparticles,such as those based on CeO_(2),have been widely studied for their strong antioxidant capabilities.Biomimetic nanoparticles,such as those coated with cell membranes,have garnered significant attention owing to their excellent biocompatibility and targeting abilities.Nanoparticles can be used to deliver a wide range of neuroprotective agents,such as antioxidants(e.g.,edaravone),anti-inflammatory drugs(e.g.,curcumin),and neurotrophic factors.Nanotechnology significantly enhances the efficacy of these drugs while minimizing adverse reactions.Although nanotechnology has demonstrated great potential in animal studies,its clinical application still faces several challenges,including the long-term safety of nanoparticles,the feasibility of large-scale production,quality control,and the ability to predict therapeutic effects in humans.In summary,nanotechnology holds significant promise for the treatment of ischemic stroke.Future research should focus on further exploring the mechanisms of action of nanoparticles,developing multifunctional nanoparticles,and validating their safety and efficacy through rigorous clinical trials.Moreover,interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for advancing the use of nanotechnology in stroke treatment.展开更多
Background:The purpose of this study was to analyze and classify adverse drug events(ADEs)related to ceftazidime/avibactam reported in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System(FAERS)database and...Background:The purpose of this study was to analyze and classify adverse drug events(ADEs)related to ceftazidime/avibactam reported in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System(FAERS)database and to evaluate their potential safety signals since the drug’s market introduction.Methods:This analysis systematically extracted and filtered FAERS data for ceftazidime/avibactam from its market launch in 2015 to the last quarter of 2024,utilizing the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities(MedDRA)terminology for ADE recoding.The analysis employed the reporting odds ratio(ROR)method to assess the strength of ADE signals and to identify significant diseases associated with infections,the hepatobiliary system,the urinary system,and the nervous system.Results:A review of 540 adverse reaction reports revealed significant signals of adverse effects related to infections,hepatobiliary disorders,urinary system issues,and neurological impairments,including pathogen resistance,liver and kidney function impairment,encephalopathy,thrombocytopenia,and toxic epidermal necrolysis.However,these issues require further clinical attention.Conclusion:Ceftazidime/avibactam is associated with a range of adverse reactions,necessitating enhanced clinical monitoring,particularly in patients with underlying liver or kidney dysfunction.Continuous risk assessment and vigilant monitoring are critical for its clinical use.However,this study is limited by inherent reporting biases and confounders associated with the spontaneous reporting database(FAERS).Future research should validate these signals through prospective cohort and mechanistic studies and explore personalized risk management strategies for high-risk populations.展开更多
Motor neuron diseases are sporadic or inherited fatal neurodegenerative conditions.They selectively affect the upper and/or lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord and feature a slow onset and a subacute cour...Motor neuron diseases are sporadic or inherited fatal neurodegenerative conditions.They selectively affect the upper and/or lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord and feature a slow onset and a subacute course contingent upon the site of damage.The main types include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,progressive muscular atrophy,primary lateral sclerosis,and progressive bulbar palsy,the pathological processes of which are largely identical,with the main disparity lying in the location of the lesions.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the representative condition in this group of diseases,while other types are its variants.Hence,this article mainly focuses on the advancements and challenges in drug research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but also briefly addresses several other important degenerative motor neuron diseases.Although the precise pathogenesis remains elusive,recent advancements have shed light on various theories,including gene mutation,excitatory amino acid toxicity,autoimmunology,and neurotrophic factors.The US Food and Drug Administration has approved four drugs for use in delaying the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:riluzole,edaravone,AMX0035,and tofersen,with the latter being the most recent to receive approval.However,following several phaseⅢtrials that failed to yield favorable outcomes,AMX0035 has been voluntarily withdrawn from both the US and Canadian markets.This article presents a comprehensive summary of drug trials primarily completed between January 1,2023,and June 30,2024,based on data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov.Among these trials,five are currently in phaseⅠ,seventeen are in phaseⅡ,and eleven are undergoing phaseⅢevaluation.Notably,24 clinical trials are now investigating potential disease-modifying therapy drugs,accounting for the majority of the drugs included in this review.Some promising drugs being investigated in preclinical studies,such as ATH-1105,are included in our analysis,and another review in frontiers in gene therapy and immunotherapy has demonstrated their therapeutic potential for motor neuron diseases.This article was written to be an overview of research trends and treatment prospects related to motor neuron disease drugs,with the aim of highlighting the latest potentialities for clinical therapy.展开更多
Background:This study focused on developing and optimizing a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(SMEDDS)to improve Lafutidine’s solubility and bioavailability,thereby enhancing its effectiveness in treating ga...Background:This study focused on developing and optimizing a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(SMEDDS)to improve Lafutidine’s solubility and bioavailability,thereby enhancing its effectiveness in treating gastric ulcers.Traditional formulations are less effective due to their limited water solubility and bioavailability.Methods:The study used solubility tests,pseudo-ternary phase diagrams,and central composite design(CCD)to optimize.The formulation was optimized by varying the oil concentration(10–40%)and surfactant/cosurfactant ratio(0.33–3.00),and then tested for droplet size,drug content,emulsification,phase stability,and in vitro dissolution.Results:The study found that the optimized formulation contained 14%Capmul PG 8NF oil,62%Labrasol surfactant,and 24%Tween 80 cosurfactant.This combination generated an average droplet size of 111.02 nm and improved drug release properties.Furthermore,the formulation was stable without phase separation,with a drug content of 88.2–99.8%.Conclusion:SMEDDS significantly improves lafutidine delivery by increasing solubility and absorption,thereby overcoming oral administration challenges.The system quickly formed small droplets in water and released the drug in 15 min.Enhancing lafutidine’s bioavailability may improve its efficacy in treating gastric ulcers,resulting in better patient outcomes and potentially lower dosing frequency.展开更多
Drug research and development(R&D)plays a crucial role in supporting public health.However,the traditional drug-discovery paradigm is hindered by significant drawbacks,including high costs,lengthy development time...Drug research and development(R&D)plays a crucial role in supporting public health.However,the traditional drug-discovery paradigm is hindered by significant drawbacks,including high costs,lengthy development timelines,high failure rates,and limited output of new drugs.Recent advances in micro/nanotechnology,along with progress in computer science,have positioned microfluidics and artificial intelligence(AI)as promising transformative tools for drug development.Microfluidics offers miniaturized,multiplexed,and versatile platforms for high-dimensional data acquisition,while AI enables the rapid processing of complex,large-scale microfluidic data;together,they are accelerating a paradigm shift in the drug-discovery process.This paper first outlines the mainstream microfluidic strategies and AI models used in drug R&D.It then summarizes and discusses real-world applications of the integrated use of these technologies across various stages of drug discovery,including early drug discovery,drug screening,drug evaluation,drug manufacturing,and drug delivery systems.Finally,the paper examines the main limitations of microfluidics and AI in drug R&D and offers an outlook on the future convergence of these technologies.展开更多
Target-based and phenotype-based methods are the two main approaches for drug screening.Target-based drug screening focuses on specific targets CPA highly correlated with disease mechanisms,by detecting protein-ligand...Target-based and phenotype-based methods are the two main approaches for drug screening.Target-based drug screening focuses on specific targets CPA highly correlated with disease mechanisms,by detecting protein-ligand binding structure,dynamics and affinity.Currently,the four mainstream drug targets are G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs),kinases,ion channels,and nuclear receptors,accounting for over 70%of effective drug targets,most of which are membrane proteins and enzymes.In recent years,various new drug targets have been continuously discovered,and the research focus has shifted from simple affinity analysis to high-throughput and high-content screening,as well as exploring drug-target interaction modes.These deepen reliance on the analytical techniques to have higher sensitivity,recognition specificity,and applicability to diversified target structures,which promoting the rapid development of novel screening methods.展开更多
Tumor microenvironment-responsive drug self-delivery systems utilize tumor microenvironment-responsive chemical bonds to link anti-tumor drugs,exploiting the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of different drugs t...Tumor microenvironment-responsive drug self-delivery systems utilize tumor microenvironment-responsive chemical bonds to link anti-tumor drugs,exploiting the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of different drugs to form amphiphilic prodrug molecules with self-assembly characteristics.Upon stimulation by specific factors in the tumor microenvironment,these amphiphilic prodrug molecules can release drugs at precise sites within the tumor.These strategies significantly increase the drug concentration at the tumor site while effectively reducing the damage of anti-cancer drugs to normal tissues.Owing to the advanced delivery strategies such as synergistic administration and controlled drug release,tumor microenvironment-responsive drug self-delivery systems hold great potential for treating malignant tumors with multidrug resistance(MDR).At the same time,the stimulus-reactivity of metal complexes provides an important opportunity to design site-specific prodrugs that can maximize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse side effects of metal drugs.This innovative drug design complements the tumor microenvironment-responsive self-delivery system,providing more feasible therapeutic strategies and possibilities in the field of cancer therapy and drug delivery.This work provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in drug self-delivery systems,offering insights into their potential applications in cancer therapy and MDR reversal.展开更多
Prodrugs need to be converted to active drugs to exert their pharmacological activities.Identifying the direct targets of active drugs is essential to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms of prodrugs,but remains c...Prodrugs need to be converted to active drugs to exert their pharmacological activities.Identifying the direct targets of active drugs is essential to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms of prodrugs,but remains challenging,especially for active drugs with low stability.展开更多
The article defines the concept of drug safety,summarizes the problems and causes in the area of drug safety in China, and proposes relevant measures to solve the problems.
Drug development remains a critical issue in the field of biomedicine.With the rapid advancement of information technologies such as artificial intelligence(AI)and the advent of the big data era,AI-assisted drug devel...Drug development remains a critical issue in the field of biomedicine.With the rapid advancement of information technologies such as artificial intelligence(AI)and the advent of the big data era,AI-assisted drug development has become a new trend,particularly in predicting drug-target associations.To address the challenge of drug-target prediction,AI-driven models have emerged as powerful tools,offering innovative solutions by effectively extracting features from complex biological data,accurately modeling molecular interactions,and precisely predicting potential drug-target outcomes.Traditional machine learning(ML),network-based,and advanced deep learning architectures such as convolutional neural networks(CNNs),graph convolutional networks(GCNs),and transformers play a pivotal role.This review systematically compiles and evaluates AI algorithms for drug-and drug combination-target predictions,highlighting their theoretical frameworks,strengths,and limitations.CNNs effectively identify spatial patterns and molecular features critical for drug-target interactions.GCNs provide deep insights into molecular interactions via relational data,whereas transformers increase prediction accuracy by capturing complex dependencies within biological sequences.Network-based models offer a systematic perspective by integrating diverse data sources,and traditional ML efficiently handles large datasets to improve overall predictive accuracy.Collectively,these AI-driven methods are transforming drug-target predictions and advancing the development of personalized therapy.This review summarizes the application of AI in drug development,particularly in drug-target prediction,and offers recommendations on models and algorithms for researchers engaged in biomedical research.It also provides typical cases to better illustrate how AI can further accelerate development in the fields of biomedicine and drug discovery.展开更多
Accurate prediction of drug-target interactions(DTIs)plays a pivotal role in drug discovery,facilitating optimization of lead compounds,drug repurposing and elucidation of drug side effects.However,traditional DTI pre...Accurate prediction of drug-target interactions(DTIs)plays a pivotal role in drug discovery,facilitating optimization of lead compounds,drug repurposing and elucidation of drug side effects.However,traditional DTI prediction methods are often limited by incomplete biological data and insufficient representation of protein features.In this study,we proposed KG-CNNDTI,a novel knowledge graph-enhanced framework for DTI prediction,which integrates heterogeneous biological information to improve model generalizability and predictive performance.The proposed model utilized protein embeddings derived from a biomedical knowledge graph via the Node2Vec algorithm,which were further enriched with contextualized sequence representations obtained from ProteinBERT.For compound representation,multiple molecular fingerprint schemes alongside the Uni-Mol pre-trained model were evaluated.The fused representations served as inputs to both classical machine learning models and a convolutional neural network-based predictor.Experimental evaluations across benchmark datasets demonstrated that KG-CNNDTI achieved superior performance compared to state-of-the-art methods,particularly in terms of Precision,Recall,F1-Score and area under the precision-recall curve(AUPR).Ablation analysis highlighted the substantial contribution of knowledge graph-derived features.Moreover,KG-CNNDTI was employed for virtual screening of natural products against Alzheimer's disease,resulting in 40 candidate compounds.5 were supported by literature evidence,among which 3 were further validated in vitro assays.展开更多
Despite relevant advances,the pharmaceutical industry continues to strive with the limited adaptability,moisture management,and discomfort caused by existing wound dressings.Adding to these challenges are the bioavail...Despite relevant advances,the pharmaceutical industry continues to strive with the limited adaptability,moisture management,and discomfort caused by existing wound dressings.Adding to these challenges are the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of common(bio)therapeutics,overall leading to unmet clinical demands,safety concerns,and poor patient compliance.Ionogels,a versatile class of materials comprising ionic liquids(ILs)confined in an organic or inorganic solid network,have been proposed to overcome these drawbacks.They have demonstrated the ability to enhance the antimicrobial and mechanical properties of the resulting materials while allowing remarkable improvements in drug solubility and their delivery to targeted sites.Nowadays,safety investigations and clinical trials are still required to fully leverage the potential of ionogels for human applications.However,the recent FDA approval of the New Drug Application MRX-5LBT®,a transdermal drug delivery system,opens promising perspectives toward the clinical translation of ionogels.This review focuses on recent advances achieved in the design of ionogels for pharmaceutical applications,viz.in topical formulations to promote wound healing with antimicrobial activity,and as platforms to improve drug pharmacokinetics(solubility and bioavailability),and their delivery at targeted specific sites with controlled release behaviour.展开更多
基金the support from Base for Interdisciplinary Innovative Talent Training,Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityYouth Science and Technology Innovation Studio of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine。
文摘Neural injuries can cause considerable functional impairments,and both central and peripheral nervous systems have limited regenerative capacity.The existing conventional pharmacological treatments in clinical practice show poor targeting,rapid drug clearance from the circulatory system,and low therapeutic efficiency.Therefore,in this review,we have first described the mechanisms underlying nerve regeneration,characterized the biomaterials used for drug delivery to facilitate nerve regeneration,and highlighted the functionalization strategies used for such drug-delivery systems.These systems mainly use natural and synthetic polymers,inorganic materials,and hybrid systems with advanced drug-delivery abilities,including nanoparticles,hydrogels,and scaffoldbased systems.Then,we focused on comparing the types of drug-delivery systems for neural regeneration as well as the mechanisms and challenges associated with targeted delivery of drugs to facilitate neural regeneration.Finally,we have summarized the clinical application research and limitations of targeted delivery of these drugs.These biomaterials and drug-delivery systems can provide mechanical support,sustained release of bioactive molecules,and enhanced intercellular contact,ultimately reducing cell apoptosis and enhancing functional recovery.Nevertheless,immune reactions,degradation regulation,and clinical translations remain major unresolved challenges.Future studies should focus on optimizing biomaterial properties,refining delivery precision,and overcoming translational barriers to advance these technologies toward clinical applications.
文摘Owing to the emergence of drug resistance and high morbidity,the need for novel antiviral drugs with novel targets is highly sought after.Marine-derived compounds mostly possess potent antiviral activity and serve as a primary source for developing novel antiviral drugs,making the rapid discovery and evaluation of marine antiviral agents particularly crucial.Thus,future research should place greater emphasis on the identification of novel antiviral targets through the combination of artificial intelligence(AI)and structural pharmacology,as well as expanding the marine resource and target databases.
文摘BACKGROUND Drug utilization research has an important role in assisting the healthcare administration to know,compute,and refine the prescription whose principal objective is to enable the rational use of drugs.Research in developing nations relating to the cost of treatment is scarce when compared with developed countries.Thus,the drug utilization research studies from developing nations are most needed,and their number has been growing.AIM To evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs and direct medical cost analysis in patients newly diagnosed with schizophrenia.METHODS The present study was observational in type and based on a retrospective cohort to evaluate patterns of utilization of antipsychotic drugs using World Health Organization(WHO)core prescribing indicators and anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose indicators.We also calculated direct medical costs for a period of 6 months.RESULTS This study has found that atypical antipsychotics are the mainstay of treatment for schizophrenia in every age group and subcategories of schizophrenia.The evaluation based on WHO prescribing indicators showed a low average number of drugs per prescription and low prescribing frequency of antipsychotics from the National List of Essential Medicines 2015 and the WHO Essential Medicines List 2019.The total mean drug cost of our study was 1396 Indian rupees.The total mean cost due to the investigation in our study was 1017.34 Indian rupees.Therefore,the total mean direct medical cost incurred on patients in our study was 4337.28 Indian rupees.CONCLUSION The information from the present study can be used for reviewing and updating treatment policy at the institutional level.
基金supported by the Russian state-funded project for ICBFM SB RAS(grant number 125012300656-5)。
文摘Background:The development of materials for cardiovascular surgery that would improve the effectiveness of surgical interventions remains an important task.Surgical intervention during the implantation of vascular prostheses and stents,and the body’s reaction to artificial materials,could lead to chronic inflammation,a local increase in the concentration of proinflammatory factors,and stimulation of unwanted tissue growth.The introduction of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs into implantable devices could be used to obtain vascular implants that do not induce inflammation and do not induce neointimal tissue outgrowth.Methods:The scaffolds were made by electrospinning from mixtures of polyurethane(PU)with diclofenac(DF).The kinetics of DF release from the scaffolds composed of 3%PU/10%HSA/3%DMSO/DF and 3%PU/DF were studied.The biocompatibility and anti-inflammatory effects of the obtained scaffolds on human gingival fibroblasts and umbilical vein endothelial cells were studied.Results:Both types of scaffolds are characterized by fast DF release.The viability of cells cultured on scaffolds is 2 times worse than that of cells cultured on plastic.The level of the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6 in the culture medium of cells cultured on DF-containing scaffolds was lower than that of cells cultured on scaffolds without DF.Conclusion:The introduction of DF into scaffolds minimizes the inflammation caused by cell reactions to an artificial material.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.82073782 and 82241002)。
文摘Pure drug nanomedicines(PDNs)encompass active pharmaceutical ingredients(APIs),including macromolecules,biological compounds,and functional components.They overcome research barriers and conversion thresholds associated with nanocarriers,offering advantages such as high drug loading capacity,synergistic treatment effects,and environmentally friendly production methods.This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in PDNs,focusing on their essential components,design theories,and manufacturing techniques.The physicochemical properties and in vivo behaviors of PDNs are thoroughly analyzed to gain an in-depth understanding of their systematic characteristics.The review introduces currently approved PDN products and further explores the opportunities and challenges in expanding their depth and breadth of application.Drug nanocrystals,drug-drug cocrystals(DDCs),antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs),and nanobodies represent the successful commercialization and widespread utilization of PDNs across various disease domains.Self-assembled pure drug nanoparticles(SAPDNPs),a next-generation product,still require extensive translational research.Challenges persist in transitioning from laboratory-scale production to mass manufacturing and overcoming the conversion threshold from laboratory findings to clinical applications.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Yunnan Province,No.202401AS070086(to ZW)the National Key Research and Development Program of China,No.2018YFA0801403(to ZW)+1 种基金Yunnan Science and Technology Talent and Platform Plan,No.202105AC160041(to ZW)the Natural Science Foundation of China,No.31960120(to ZW)。
文摘Traumatic brain injury can be categorized into primary and secondary injuries.Secondary injuries are the main cause of disability following traumatic brain injury,which involves a complex multicellular cascade.Microglia play an important role in secondary injury and can be activated in response to traumatic brain injury.In this article,we review the origin and classification of microglia as well as the dynamic changes of microglia in traumatic brain injury.We also clarify the microglial polarization pathways and the therapeutic drugs targeting activated microglia.We found that regulating the signaling pathways involved in pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory microglia,such as the Toll-like receptor 4/nuclear factor-kappa B,mitogen-activated protein kinase,Janus kinase/signal transducer and activator of transcription,phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B,Notch,and high mobility group box 1 pathways,can alleviate the inflammatory response triggered by microglia in traumatic brain injury,thereby exerting neuroprotective effects.We also reviewed the strategies developed on the basis of these pathways,such as drug and cell replacement therapies.Drugs that modulate inflammatory factors,such as rosuvastatin,have been shown to promote the polarization of antiinflammatory microglia and reduce the inflammatory response caused by traumatic brain injury.Mesenchymal stem cells possess anti-inflammatory properties,and clinical studies have confirmed their significant efficacy and safety in patients with traumatic brain injury.Additionally,advancements in mesenchymal stem cell-delivery methods—such as combinations of novel biomaterials,genetic engineering,and mesenchymal stem cell exosome therapy—have greatly enhanced the efficiency and therapeutic effects of mesenchymal stem cells in animal models.However,numerous challenges in the application of drug and mesenchymal stem cell treatment strategies remain to be addressed.In the future,new technologies,such as single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis,can facilitate further experimental studies.Moreover,research involving non-human primates can help translate these treatment strategies to clinical practice.
基金supported by the Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Intelligent Bioinformatics(No.ZDSYS20220422103800001)the Shenzhen Science and Technology Program(No.JCYJ20230807140709020)+2 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.62402489,U22A2041,and 62373172)the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(No.2023M743688)Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation(Nos.2024A1515011960 and 2023A1515110570)。
文摘Artificial intelligence(AI)researchers and cheminformatics specialists strive to identify effective drug precursors while optimizing costs and accelerating development processes.Digital molecular representation plays a crucial role in achieving this objective by making molecules machine-readable,thereby enhancing the accuracy of molecular prediction tasks and facilitating evidence-based decision making.This study presents a comprehensive review of small molecular representations and AI-driven drug discovery downstream tasks utilizing these representations.The research methodology begins with the compilation of small molecule databases,followed by an analysis of fundamental molecular representations and the models that learn these representations from initial forms,capturing patterns and salient features across extensive chemical spaces.The study then examines various drug discovery downstream tasks,including drug-target interaction(DTI)prediction,drug-target affinity(DTA)prediction,drug property(DP)prediction,and drug generation,all based on learned representations.The analysis concludes by highlighting challenges and opportunities associated with machine learning(ML)methods for molecular representation and improving downstream task performance.Additionally,the representation of small molecules and AI-based downstream tasks demonstrates significant potential in identifying traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)medicinal substances and facilitating TCM target discovery.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.82301093(to QC)and 22334004(to HY)the Fuzhou University Fund for Testing Precious Equipment,No.2025T038(to QC)。
文摘The mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke are complex and multifactorial and include excitotoxicity,oxidative stress,inflammatory responses,and blood–brain barrier disruption.While vascular recanalization treatments such as thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy have achieved some success,reperfusion injury remains a significant contributor to the exacerbation of brain injury.This emphasizes the need for developing neuroprotective strategies to mitigate this type of injury.The purpose of this review was to examine the application of nanotechnology in the treatment of ischemic stroke,covering research progress in nanoparticlebased drug delivery,targeted therapy,and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory applications.Nanobased drug delivery systems offer several advantages compared to traditional therapies,including enhanced blood–brain barrier penetration,prolonged drug circulation time,improved drug stability,and targeted delivery.For example,inorganic nanoparticles,such as those based on CeO_(2),have been widely studied for their strong antioxidant capabilities.Biomimetic nanoparticles,such as those coated with cell membranes,have garnered significant attention owing to their excellent biocompatibility and targeting abilities.Nanoparticles can be used to deliver a wide range of neuroprotective agents,such as antioxidants(e.g.,edaravone),anti-inflammatory drugs(e.g.,curcumin),and neurotrophic factors.Nanotechnology significantly enhances the efficacy of these drugs while minimizing adverse reactions.Although nanotechnology has demonstrated great potential in animal studies,its clinical application still faces several challenges,including the long-term safety of nanoparticles,the feasibility of large-scale production,quality control,and the ability to predict therapeutic effects in humans.In summary,nanotechnology holds significant promise for the treatment of ischemic stroke.Future research should focus on further exploring the mechanisms of action of nanoparticles,developing multifunctional nanoparticles,and validating their safety and efficacy through rigorous clinical trials.Moreover,interdisciplinary collaboration is essential for advancing the use of nanotechnology in stroke treatment.
基金Intramural Project of The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi University of Chinese Medicine(2018QN008).
文摘Background:The purpose of this study was to analyze and classify adverse drug events(ADEs)related to ceftazidime/avibactam reported in the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System(FAERS)database and to evaluate their potential safety signals since the drug’s market introduction.Methods:This analysis systematically extracted and filtered FAERS data for ceftazidime/avibactam from its market launch in 2015 to the last quarter of 2024,utilizing the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities(MedDRA)terminology for ADE recoding.The analysis employed the reporting odds ratio(ROR)method to assess the strength of ADE signals and to identify significant diseases associated with infections,the hepatobiliary system,the urinary system,and the nervous system.Results:A review of 540 adverse reaction reports revealed significant signals of adverse effects related to infections,hepatobiliary disorders,urinary system issues,and neurological impairments,including pathogen resistance,liver and kidney function impairment,encephalopathy,thrombocytopenia,and toxic epidermal necrolysis.However,these issues require further clinical attention.Conclusion:Ceftazidime/avibactam is associated with a range of adverse reactions,necessitating enhanced clinical monitoring,particularly in patients with underlying liver or kidney dysfunction.Continuous risk assessment and vigilant monitoring are critical for its clinical use.However,this study is limited by inherent reporting biases and confounders associated with the spontaneous reporting database(FAERS).Future research should validate these signals through prospective cohort and mechanistic studies and explore personalized risk management strategies for high-risk populations.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China,No.2022YFC2703101(to YC)the National Natural Science Fundation of China,No.82371422(to YC)+1 种基金the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program for College Students,No.202310611408(to XW)the 1·3·5 Project for Disciplines of Excellence Clinical Research Fund,West China Hospital,Sichuan University,No.2023HXFH032(to YC)。
文摘Motor neuron diseases are sporadic or inherited fatal neurodegenerative conditions.They selectively affect the upper and/or lower motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord and feature a slow onset and a subacute course contingent upon the site of damage.The main types include amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,progressive muscular atrophy,primary lateral sclerosis,and progressive bulbar palsy,the pathological processes of which are largely identical,with the main disparity lying in the location of the lesions.Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the representative condition in this group of diseases,while other types are its variants.Hence,this article mainly focuses on the advancements and challenges in drug research for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis but also briefly addresses several other important degenerative motor neuron diseases.Although the precise pathogenesis remains elusive,recent advancements have shed light on various theories,including gene mutation,excitatory amino acid toxicity,autoimmunology,and neurotrophic factors.The US Food and Drug Administration has approved four drugs for use in delaying the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis:riluzole,edaravone,AMX0035,and tofersen,with the latter being the most recent to receive approval.However,following several phaseⅢtrials that failed to yield favorable outcomes,AMX0035 has been voluntarily withdrawn from both the US and Canadian markets.This article presents a comprehensive summary of drug trials primarily completed between January 1,2023,and June 30,2024,based on data sourced from clinicaltrials.gov.Among these trials,five are currently in phaseⅠ,seventeen are in phaseⅡ,and eleven are undergoing phaseⅢevaluation.Notably,24 clinical trials are now investigating potential disease-modifying therapy drugs,accounting for the majority of the drugs included in this review.Some promising drugs being investigated in preclinical studies,such as ATH-1105,are included in our analysis,and another review in frontiers in gene therapy and immunotherapy has demonstrated their therapeutic potential for motor neuron diseases.This article was written to be an overview of research trends and treatment prospects related to motor neuron disease drugs,with the aim of highlighting the latest potentialities for clinical therapy.
文摘Background:This study focused on developing and optimizing a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system(SMEDDS)to improve Lafutidine’s solubility and bioavailability,thereby enhancing its effectiveness in treating gastric ulcers.Traditional formulations are less effective due to their limited water solubility and bioavailability.Methods:The study used solubility tests,pseudo-ternary phase diagrams,and central composite design(CCD)to optimize.The formulation was optimized by varying the oil concentration(10–40%)and surfactant/cosurfactant ratio(0.33–3.00),and then tested for droplet size,drug content,emulsification,phase stability,and in vitro dissolution.Results:The study found that the optimized formulation contained 14%Capmul PG 8NF oil,62%Labrasol surfactant,and 24%Tween 80 cosurfactant.This combination generated an average droplet size of 111.02 nm and improved drug release properties.Furthermore,the formulation was stable without phase separation,with a drug content of 88.2–99.8%.Conclusion:SMEDDS significantly improves lafutidine delivery by increasing solubility and absorption,thereby overcoming oral administration challenges.The system quickly formed small droplets in water and released the drug in 15 min.Enhancing lafutidine’s bioavailability may improve its efficacy in treating gastric ulcers,resulting in better patient outcomes and potentially lower dosing frequency.
基金s supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(82425104)the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFC3400501).
文摘Drug research and development(R&D)plays a crucial role in supporting public health.However,the traditional drug-discovery paradigm is hindered by significant drawbacks,including high costs,lengthy development timelines,high failure rates,and limited output of new drugs.Recent advances in micro/nanotechnology,along with progress in computer science,have positioned microfluidics and artificial intelligence(AI)as promising transformative tools for drug development.Microfluidics offers miniaturized,multiplexed,and versatile platforms for high-dimensional data acquisition,while AI enables the rapid processing of complex,large-scale microfluidic data;together,they are accelerating a paradigm shift in the drug-discovery process.This paper first outlines the mainstream microfluidic strategies and AI models used in drug R&D.It then summarizes and discusses real-world applications of the integrated use of these technologies across various stages of drug discovery,including early drug discovery,drug screening,drug evaluation,drug manufacturing,and drug delivery systems.Finally,the paper examines the main limitations of microfluidics and AI in drug R&D and offers an outlook on the future convergence of these technologies.
文摘Target-based and phenotype-based methods are the two main approaches for drug screening.Target-based drug screening focuses on specific targets CPA highly correlated with disease mechanisms,by detecting protein-ligand binding structure,dynamics and affinity.Currently,the four mainstream drug targets are G protein-coupled receptors(GPCRs),kinases,ion channels,and nuclear receptors,accounting for over 70%of effective drug targets,most of which are membrane proteins and enzymes.In recent years,various new drug targets have been continuously discovered,and the research focus has shifted from simple affinity analysis to high-throughput and high-content screening,as well as exploring drug-target interaction modes.These deepen reliance on the analytical techniques to have higher sensitivity,recognition specificity,and applicability to diversified target structures,which promoting the rapid development of novel screening methods.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.21907059)Shandong Province Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Development Project(No.M-2022258)+1 种基金the Young Scientist Development Foundation of Shandong First Medical University(No.202201-002)the Academic Promotion Program of Shandong First Medical University(Nos.2019LJ003 and 2019QL011).
文摘Tumor microenvironment-responsive drug self-delivery systems utilize tumor microenvironment-responsive chemical bonds to link anti-tumor drugs,exploiting the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of different drugs to form amphiphilic prodrug molecules with self-assembly characteristics.Upon stimulation by specific factors in the tumor microenvironment,these amphiphilic prodrug molecules can release drugs at precise sites within the tumor.These strategies significantly increase the drug concentration at the tumor site while effectively reducing the damage of anti-cancer drugs to normal tissues.Owing to the advanced delivery strategies such as synergistic administration and controlled drug release,tumor microenvironment-responsive drug self-delivery systems hold great potential for treating malignant tumors with multidrug resistance(MDR).At the same time,the stimulus-reactivity of metal complexes provides an important opportunity to design site-specific prodrugs that can maximize therapeutic efficacy while minimizing adverse side effects of metal drugs.This innovative drug design complements the tumor microenvironment-responsive self-delivery system,providing more feasible therapeutic strategies and possibilities in the field of cancer therapy and drug delivery.This work provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in drug self-delivery systems,offering insights into their potential applications in cancer therapy and MDR reversal.
基金support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.:U21A20407 and 81973467).
文摘Prodrugs need to be converted to active drugs to exert their pharmacological activities.Identifying the direct targets of active drugs is essential to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms of prodrugs,but remains challenging,especially for active drugs with low stability.
文摘The article defines the concept of drug safety,summarizes the problems and causes in the area of drug safety in China, and proposes relevant measures to solve the problems.
基金supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.:T2341008)Intelligent and Precise Research on TCM for Spleen and Stomach Diseases(20233930063).
文摘Drug development remains a critical issue in the field of biomedicine.With the rapid advancement of information technologies such as artificial intelligence(AI)and the advent of the big data era,AI-assisted drug development has become a new trend,particularly in predicting drug-target associations.To address the challenge of drug-target prediction,AI-driven models have emerged as powerful tools,offering innovative solutions by effectively extracting features from complex biological data,accurately modeling molecular interactions,and precisely predicting potential drug-target outcomes.Traditional machine learning(ML),network-based,and advanced deep learning architectures such as convolutional neural networks(CNNs),graph convolutional networks(GCNs),and transformers play a pivotal role.This review systematically compiles and evaluates AI algorithms for drug-and drug combination-target predictions,highlighting their theoretical frameworks,strengths,and limitations.CNNs effectively identify spatial patterns and molecular features critical for drug-target interactions.GCNs provide deep insights into molecular interactions via relational data,whereas transformers increase prediction accuracy by capturing complex dependencies within biological sequences.Network-based models offer a systematic perspective by integrating diverse data sources,and traditional ML efficiently handles large datasets to improve overall predictive accuracy.Collectively,these AI-driven methods are transforming drug-target predictions and advancing the development of personalized therapy.This review summarizes the application of AI in drug development,particularly in drug-target prediction,and offers recommendations on models and algorithms for researchers engaged in biomedical research.It also provides typical cases to better illustrate how AI can further accelerate development in the fields of biomedicine and drug discovery.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.82173746 and U23A20530)Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism(Shanghai Municipal Education Commission)。
文摘Accurate prediction of drug-target interactions(DTIs)plays a pivotal role in drug discovery,facilitating optimization of lead compounds,drug repurposing and elucidation of drug side effects.However,traditional DTI prediction methods are often limited by incomplete biological data and insufficient representation of protein features.In this study,we proposed KG-CNNDTI,a novel knowledge graph-enhanced framework for DTI prediction,which integrates heterogeneous biological information to improve model generalizability and predictive performance.The proposed model utilized protein embeddings derived from a biomedical knowledge graph via the Node2Vec algorithm,which were further enriched with contextualized sequence representations obtained from ProteinBERT.For compound representation,multiple molecular fingerprint schemes alongside the Uni-Mol pre-trained model were evaluated.The fused representations served as inputs to both classical machine learning models and a convolutional neural network-based predictor.Experimental evaluations across benchmark datasets demonstrated that KG-CNNDTI achieved superior performance compared to state-of-the-art methods,particularly in terms of Precision,Recall,F1-Score and area under the precision-recall curve(AUPR).Ablation analysis highlighted the substantial contribution of knowledge graph-derived features.Moreover,KG-CNNDTI was employed for virtual screening of natural products against Alzheimer's disease,resulting in 40 candidate compounds.5 were supported by literature evidence,among which 3 were further validated in vitro assays.
基金the scope of the project CICECO Aveiro Institute of Materials,UIDB/50011/2020(DOI 10.54499/UIDB/50011/2020),UIDP/50011/2020(DOI 10.54499/UIDP/50011/2020)&LA/P/0006/2020(DOI 10.54499/LA/P/0006/2020),financed by national funds through the FCT/MCTES(PIDDAC)the scope of the projects mVACCIL(EXPL/BII-BTI/0731/2021,DOI 10.54499/EXPL/BII-BTI/0731/2021)and PureDNA(2022.03394.PTDC,DOI 10.54499/2022.03394.PTDC),financially supported by national funds(OE),through FCT/MCTES+1 种基金FCT,respectively,for the research contract CEEC-IND/02599/2020(DOI 10.54499/2020.02599.CEECIND/CP1589/CT0023)under the Scientific Stimulus-Individual Callthe PhD grant 2020/05090/BD(DOI:10.54499/2020.05090.BD).
文摘Despite relevant advances,the pharmaceutical industry continues to strive with the limited adaptability,moisture management,and discomfort caused by existing wound dressings.Adding to these challenges are the bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of common(bio)therapeutics,overall leading to unmet clinical demands,safety concerns,and poor patient compliance.Ionogels,a versatile class of materials comprising ionic liquids(ILs)confined in an organic or inorganic solid network,have been proposed to overcome these drawbacks.They have demonstrated the ability to enhance the antimicrobial and mechanical properties of the resulting materials while allowing remarkable improvements in drug solubility and their delivery to targeted sites.Nowadays,safety investigations and clinical trials are still required to fully leverage the potential of ionogels for human applications.However,the recent FDA approval of the New Drug Application MRX-5LBT®,a transdermal drug delivery system,opens promising perspectives toward the clinical translation of ionogels.This review focuses on recent advances achieved in the design of ionogels for pharmaceutical applications,viz.in topical formulations to promote wound healing with antimicrobial activity,and as platforms to improve drug pharmacokinetics(solubility and bioavailability),and their delivery at targeted specific sites with controlled release behaviour.
