Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Jun 12. Epub 2018 Jun 12.

Clinical Professor, Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address:

For the first 40 years of the 20th century treatment for asthma occurred in response to an asthma attack. The treatments were given by injection or orally and included the adrenergic agonists adrenalin/epinephrine and ephedrine and a phosphodiesterase inhibitor theophylline. Epinephrine became available as an aerosol in 1930. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar;127:1-2

Laboratory of Molecular Imaging and Nanomedicine (LOMIN), National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD 20892, USA. Electronic address:

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Jun 8. Epub 2018 Jun 8.

Woolcock Emphysema Centre, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia; Respiratory Technology, Woolcock Institute of Medical Research and Discipline of Pharmacology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, Australia. Electronic address:

Despite many therapeutic advancements over the past decade, the continued rise in chronic inflammatory lung diseases incidence has driven the need to identify and develop new therapeutic strategies, with superior efficacy to treat these diseases. Statins are one class of drug that could potentially be repurposed as an alternative treatment for chronic lung diseases. They are currently used to treat hypercholesterolemia by inhibiting the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase, that catalyses the rate limiting step in the mevalonate biosynthesis pathway, a key intermediate in cholesterol metabolism. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb;126:1-2

Discipline of Pharmacy, RMIT University, Australia.

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Jun 8. Epub 2018 Jun 8.

Universities of Giessen and Marburg Lung Center (UGMLC), German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Department of Internal Medicine, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Germany. Electronic address:

Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, but severe and life-threatening disease characterized by vasoconstriction and remodeling of the pulmonary arterioles, leading to progressive increase in pulmonary vascular resistance and ultimately to right-heart failure. In the last two decades, significant progress in treatment of PAH has been made, with currently 12 drugs approved for targeted therapy. Among these, the stable prostacyclin analogues iloprost and treprostinil have been repurposed for inhalation. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Jun 7. Epub 2018 Jun 7.

Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, State University of New York at Stony Brook, 101 Nicolls Rd, HSC T-17-040, Stony Brook, NY 11794-8172, United States. Electronic address:

Pulmonary diseases frequently involve imbalances in immunity. The inability to control bacteria in tuberculosis is a failed response to a pathogen. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a progressive fibrotic lung disease, can lead to respiratory failure and death within 3 years of diagnosis. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Jun 6. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States; Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, United States. Electronic address:

In recent years, drug development costs have soared, primarily due to the failure of preclinical animal and cell culture models, which do not directly translate to human physiology. Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) is a burgeoning technology with the potential to revolutionize disease modeling, drug discovery, and toxicology research by strengthening the relevance of culture-based models while reducing costly animal studies. Although OOC models can incorporate a variety of tissue sources, the most robust and relevant OOC models going forward will include stem cells. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb;125:1-2

Department of Radiation Oncology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599. Electronic address:

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Jun 5. Epub 2018 Jun 5.

State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Macau SAR, China. Electronic address:

Growth factors (GFs) are versatile signalling molecules that orchestrate the dynamic, multi-stage process of wound healing. Delivery of exogenous GFs to the wound milieu to mediate healing in an active, physiologically-relevant manner has shown great promise in laboratories; however, the inherent instability of GFs, accompanied with numerous safety, efficacy and cost concerns, has hindered the clinical success of GF delivery. In this article, we highlight that the key to overcoming these challenges is to enhance the control of the activities of GFs throughout the delivering process. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 May 18. Epub 2018 May 18.

Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Electronic address:

The justification of cancer nanomedicine relies on enhanced permeation (EP) and retention (R) effect and the capability of intracellular targeting due primarily to size after internalization (endocytosis) into the individual target cells. The EPR effect implies improved efficacy. Affinity targeting for solid tumors only occur after delivery to individual cells, which help internalization and/or retention. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 May 18. Epub 2018 May 18.

School of Pharmacy, University of Sydney, Pharmacy and Bank Building A15, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address:

The US Food and Drug Administration approval of the first 3D printed tablet in 2015 has ignited growing interest in 3D printing, or additive manufacturing (AM), for drug delivery and testing systems. Beyond just a novel method for rapid prototyping, AM provides key advantages over traditional manufacturing of drug delivery and testing systems. These includes the ability to fabricate complex geometries to achieve variable drug release kinetics; ease of personalising pharmacotherapy for patient and lowering the cost for fabricating personalised dosages. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 May 17. Epub 2018 May 17.

Institute of Neuroanatomy & Developmental Biology (INDB), Eberhard Karls University Tuebingen, Oesterbergstr. 3, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; Center for Neurosensory Systems (ZFN), Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, 72074 Tübingen, Germany. Electronic address:

From the early days of cell biological research, the eye-especially the retina-has evoked broad interest among scientists. The retina has since been thoroughly investigated and numerous models have been exploited to shed light on its development, morphology, and function. Apart from various animal models and human clinical and anatomical research, stem cell-based models of animal and human cells of origin have entered the field, especially during the last decade. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 May 23. Epub 2018 May 23.

Biomedical Polymers Laboratory, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Advanced Functional Polymer Design and Application, College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123, PR China. Electronic address:

The development of smart delivery systems that are robust in circulation and quickly release drugs following selective internalization into target cancer cells is a key to precision cancer therapy. Interestingly, reduction-sensitive polymeric nanomedicines showing high plasma stability and triggered cytoplasmic drug release behavior have recently emerged as one of the most exciting platforms for targeted delivery of various anticancer drugs including small chemical drugs, proteins, and nucleic acids. In vivo studies in varying tumor models reveal that these reduction-sensitive multifunctional nanomedicines outperform the currently used clinical formulations and reduction-insensitive counterparts, bringing about not only significantly enhanced tumor selectivity, accumulation and inhibition efficacy but also markedly reduced systemic toxicity and improved therapeutic index. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 May 5. Epub 2018 May 5.

Drug Research Program, Division of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland; Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki FI-00014, Finland. Electronic address:

The use of drug nanocrystals in the drug formulation is increasing due to the large number of poorly water-soluble drug compounds synthetized and due to the advantages brought by the nanonization process. The downsizing processes are done using a top-down approach (milling and homogenization currently employed at the industrial level), while the crystallization process is performed by bottom-up techniques (e.g. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 May 2. Epub 2018 May 2.

Department of Surgery-Transplant and Mary & Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198, United States. Electronic address:

Electrospinning provides an enabling nanotechnology platform for generating a rich variety of novel structured materials in many biomedical applications including drug delivery, biosensing, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. In this review article, we begin with a thorough discussion on the method of producing 1D, 2D, and 3D electrospun nanofiber materials. In particular, we emphasize on how the 3D printing technology can contribute to the improvement of traditional electrospinning technology for the fabrication of 3D electrospun nanofiber materials as drug delivery devices/implants, scaffolds or living tissue constructs. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 29. Epub 2018 Apr 29.

Department of Nanomedicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, United States. Electronic address:

Cell-based therapy is emerging as a promising strategy for treating a wide range of human diseases, such as diabetes, blood disorders, acute liver failure, spinal cord injury, and several types of cancer. Pancreatic islets, blood cells, hepatocytes, and stem cells are among the many cell types currently used for this strategy. The encapsulation of these "therapeutic" cells is under intense investigation to not only prevent immune rejection but also provide a controlled and supportive environment so they can function effectively. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 27. Epub 2018 Apr 27.

Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address:

Supramolecular networks composed of multi-domain ECM proteins represent intricate cellular microenvironments which are required to balance tissue homeostasis and direct remodeling. Structural deficiency in ECM proteins results in imbalances in ECM-cell communication resulting often times in fibrotic reactions. To understand how individual components of the ECM integrate communication with the cell surface by presenting growth factors or providing fine-tuned biomechanical properties is mandatory for gaining a better understanding of disease mechanisms in the quest for new therapeutic approaches. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 26. Epub 2018 Apr 26.

INSERM, UMR 1229, RMeS, Regenerative Medicine and Skeleton, Université de Nantes, ONIRIS, Nantes F-44042, France; Université de Nantes, UFR Odontologie, Nantes F-44042, France; CHU Nantes, PHU4 OTONN, Nantes, F-44093, France. Electronic address:

Low back pain (LBP), frequently associated with intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration, is a major public health concern. LBP is currently managed by pharmacological treatments and, if unsuccessful, by invasive surgical procedures, which do not counteract the degenerative process. Considering that IVD cell depletion is critical in the degenerative process, the supplementation of IVD with reparative cells, associated or not with biomaterials, has been contemplated. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 23;126:177-184. Epub 2018 Apr 23.

School of Pharmacy, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.

The retina is constantly exposed to light that increases reactive oxygen species in retina. Oxidative stress, inflammation and neurodegeneration are the major contributors in the most common retinal diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Emerging developments and research for novel therapy targets and drug delivery to the posterior segment offer a promising future for the treatment of retinal diseases including rare hereditary diseases. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 24. Epub 2018 Apr 24.

Department of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Hufelandstrasse 55, 45122 Essen, Germany; Department of Surgery, University of Cincinnati, 231 Albert Sabin Way, ML 0558, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA. Electronic address:

Studies over the past several years have demonstrated the important role of sphingolipids in cystic fibrosis (CF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and acute lung injury. Ceramide is increased in airway epithelial cells and alveolar macrophages of CF mice and humans, while sphingosine is dramatically decreased. This increase in ceramide results in chronic inflammation, increased death of epithelial cells, release of DNA into the bronchial lumen and thereby an impairment of mucociliary clearance; while the lack of sphingosine in airway epithelial cells causes high infection susceptibility in CF mice and possibly patients. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 19. Epub 2018 Apr 19.

Pharmaceutical Consortia Management Team, Drinker Biddle and Reath LLP 1500 K Street NW, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address:

This article reviews regulatory considerations for companies wishing to develop drugs for delivery via the respiratory tract (e.g., by oral inhalation or intranasally) using molecules previously approved for a different therapeutic indication and/or a different delivery route. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 14. Epub 2018 Apr 14.

Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics, Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, 399 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. Electronic address:

Older people are at a greater risk of medicine-induced toxicity resulting from either increased drug sensitivity or age-related pharmacokinetic changes. The scenario is further complicated with the two most prevalent age-related neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD). With aging, AD and PD, there is growing evidence of altered structure and function of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), including modifications to tight junctions and efflux transporters, such as P-glycoprotein. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 13. Epub 2018 Apr 13.

School of Clinical Sciences, QUT (Queensland University of Technology), Gardens Point Campus, 2 George St, Brisbane, QLD 4000, Australia. Electronic address:

Many people cannot swallow whole tablets and capsules. The cause ranges from difficulties overriding the natural instinct to chew solids/foodstuff before swallowing, to a complex disorder of swallowing function affecting the ability to manage all food and fluid intake. Older people can experience swallowing difficulties because of co-morbidities, age-related physiological changes, and polypharmacy. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 12. Epub 2018 Apr 12.

Laboratory of Cell Proliferation and Ageing, Institute of Biosciences and Applications, National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos", Athens, Greece. Electronic address:

An essential element of tissue homeostasis is the response to injuries, cutaneous wound healing being the most studied example. In the adults, wound healing aims at quickly restoring the barrier function of the skin, leading however to scar, a dysfunctional fibrotic tissue. On the other hand, in fetuses a scarless tissue regeneration takes place. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 11. Epub 2018 Apr 11.

Scientific Consultant, 6 Nelson Drive, Hunstanton, Norfolk PE36 5DU, UK. Electronic address:

The repurposing of drug delivery by the pulmonary route has been applied to treatment and prophylaxis of an increasingly wide range of respiratory diseases. Repurposing has been most successful for the delivery of inhaled bronchodilators and corticosteroids in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Repurposing utilizes the advantages that the pulmonary route offers in terms of more targeted delivery to the site of action, the use of smaller doses, and a lower incidence of side-effects. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 6. Epub 2018 Apr 6.

Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Naples, Italy. Electronic address:

Nucleic acid therapeutics, including siRNAs, miRNAs/antimiRs, gRNAs and ASO, represent innovative and highly promising molecules for the safe treatment of a wide range of pathologies. The efficiency of systemic treatments is impeded by 1) the need to overcome physical and functional barriers in the organism, and 2) to accumulate in the intracellular active site at therapeutic concentrations. Although oligonucleotides either as modified naked molecules or complexed with delivery carriers have revealed to be effectively delivered to the affected target cells, this is restricted to topic treatments or to a few highly vascularized tissues. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 5. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Department of Biological Regulation, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel. Electronic address:

Progressive loss of organ function in most organs is associated with fibrosis, a tissue state associated with abnormal matrix buildup. If highly progressive, the fibrotic process eventually leads to organ failure and death. Fibrosis is a basic connective tissue lesion defined by the increase in the amount of fibrillar extracellular matrix (ECM) components in a tissue or organ. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 6. Epub 2018 Apr 6.

Storr Liver Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney and Westmead Hospital, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Electronic address:

Traditional anticancer therapies are often unable to completely eradicate the tumor bulk due to multi-drug resistance (MDR) of cancers. A number of mechanisms such as micro-environmental stress and overexpression of drug efflux pumps are involved in the MDR process. Hence, therapeutic strategies for overcoming MDR are urgently needed to improve cancer treatment efficacy. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 5. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, Polytechnical University of Catalonia (UPC), Eduard Maristany 16, 08019 Barcelona, Spain; CIBER en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina, CIBER-BBN, Madrid, Spain; Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Baldiri Reixac 10-12, 08028 Barcelona, Spain. Electronic address:

Skin wound healing aims to repair and restore tissue through a multistage process that involves different cells and signalling molecules that regulate the cellular response and the dynamic remodelling of the extracellular matrix. Nowadays, several therapies that combine biomolecule signals (growth factors and cytokines) and cells are being proposed. However, a lack of reliable evidence of their efficacy, together with associated issues such as high costs, a lack of standardization, no scalable processes, and storage and regulatory issues, are hampering their application. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 5;128:29-53. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744, Korea. Electronic address:

Microfluidic technologies employ nano and microscale fabrication techniques to develop highly controllable and reproducible fluidic microenvironments. Utilizing microfluidics, lead compounds can be produced with the controlled physicochemical properties, characterized in a high-throughput fashion, and evaluated in in vitro biomimetic models of human organs; organ-on-a-chip. As a step forward from conventional in vitro culture methods, microfluidics shows promise in effective preclinical testing of nanoparticle-based drug delivery. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 5;127:138-166. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Biomaterials Innovation Research Center, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02139, USA; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Center of Nanotechnology, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21569, Saudi Arabia; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI), University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Radiology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Physics, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21569, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address:

Chronic, non-healing wounds place a significant burden on patients and healthcare systems, resulting in impaired mobility, limb amputation, or even death. Chronic wounds result from a disruption in the highly orchestrated cascade of events involved in wound closure. Significant advances in our understanding of the pathophysiology of chronic wounds have resulted in the development of drugs designed to target different aspects of the impaired processes. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 5;128:115-131. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

University of Copenhagen, Department of Pharmacy, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address:

Nanopharmaceuticals aim at translating the unique features of nano-scale materials into therapeutic products and consequently their development relies critically on the progression in manufacturing technology to allow scalable processes complying with process economy and quality assurance. The relatively high failure rate in translational nanopharmaceutical research and development, with respect to new products on the market, is at least partly due to immature bottom-up manufacturing development and resulting sub-optimal control of quality attributes in nanopharmaceuticals. Recently, quality-oriented manufacturing of pharmaceuticals has undergone an unprecedented change toward process and product development interaction. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 5;125:143-150. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. Electronic address:

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cells that have detached from the primary tumor and entered circulation with potential to initiate a site of metastasis. Currently, CTC detection using CellSearch is cleared by the Food and Drug Administration for monitoring metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers as a prognostic biomarker for progression-free and overall survival. Accumulating evidence suggests CTCs have similar prognostic value in other metastatic and non-metastatic settings. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 5. Epub 2018 Apr 5.

Pharmaceutics, Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address:

The story of how we came to use inhaled mannitol to diagnose asthma and to treat cystic fibrosis began when we were looking for a surrogate for exercise as a stimulus to identify asthma. We had proposed that exercise-induced asthma was caused by an increase in osmolarity of the periciliary fluid. We found hypertonic saline to be a surrogate for exercise but an ultrasonic nebuliser was required. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Apr 4. Epub 2018 Apr 4.

Institut Pasteur, Department of Structural Biology and Chemistry, Laboratory for Bioorganic Chemistry of Nucleic Acids, CNRS UMR3523, 28, rue du Docteur Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France. Electronic address:

Aptamers are single-stranded DNA or RNA molecules capable of tightly binding to specific targets. These functional nucleic acids are obtained by an in vitro Darwinian evolution method coined SELEX (Systematic Evolution of Ligands by EXponential enrichment). Compared to their proteinaceous counterparts, aptamers offer a number of advantages including a low immunogenicity, a relative ease of large-scale synthesis at affordable costs with little or no batch-to-batch variation, physical stability, and facile chemical modification. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 4;126:145-161. Epub 2018 Apr 4.

Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong; The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Shenzhen Institute, Shenzhen 518057, China. Electronic address:

Antiangiogenic therapeutics, such as corticosteroids, VEGF targeting antibodies and aptamers have been demonstrated effective in controlling retinal and choroidal neovascularization related vision loss. However, to manage the chronic conditions, it requires long term and frequent intravitreal injections of these drugs, resulting in poor patient compliance and suboptimal treatment. In addition, emerging drugs such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors and siRNAs received much expectations, but the late stage clinical trials encountered various obstacles. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 28;126:185-194. Epub 2018 Mar 28.

Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Lincoln University, P O Box 85084, New Zealand.

Cataracts are one of the most prevalent diseases of the lens, affecting its transparency and are the leading cause of reversible blindness in the world. The clarity of the lens is essential for its normal physiological function of refracting light onto the retina. Currently there is no pharmaceutical treatment for prevention or cure of cataracts and surgery to replace the affected lens remains the gold standard in the management of cataracts. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 29;127:119-137. Epub 2018 Mar 29.

Beijing Laboratory of Biomedical Materials, College of Materials Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, PR China. Electronic address:

Diabetes, a metabolic disorder of glucose, is a serious chronic disease and an important public health problem. Insulin is one of the hormones for modulating blood glucose level and the products of which is indispensable for most diabetes patients. Introducing microneedles (MNs) to insulin delivery is promising to pave the way for modulating glucose level noninvasively of diabetes patients, as which born to be painless, easy to handle and no need of any power supply. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 29;127:3-19. Epub 2018 Mar 29.

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States. Electronic address:

Immunomodulation, manipulation of the immune responses towards an antigen, is a promising strategy to treat cancer, infectious diseases, allergies, and autoimmune diseases, among others. Unique features of the skin including the presence of tissue-resident immune cells, ease of access and connectivity to other organs makes it a unique target organ for immunomodulation. In this review, we summarize advances in transdermal delivery of agents for modulating the immune responses for vaccination as well as tolerization. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 19. Epub 2018 Mar 19.

Sutton Research Laboratory, Institute of Bone and Joint Research, Kolling Institute of Medical Research, University of Sydney at Royal North Shore Hospital, 2065, NSW, Australia. Electronic address:

While wound therapy remains a clinical challenge in current medical practice, much effort has focused on developing biological therapeutic approaches. This paper presents a comprehensive review of delivery systems for current biologicals for the treatment of chronic wounds and severe burns. The biologicals discussed here include proteins such as growth factors and gene modifying molecules, which may be delivered to wounds free, encapsulated, or released from living systems (cells, skin grafts or skin equivalents) or biomaterials. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 19. Epub 2018 Mar 19.

Department of Pharmaceutical Technology and Nanosciences, Fraunhofer-Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Frankfurt, Germany; Institute of Pharmaceutical Technology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany. Electronic address:

Today, many of the newly developed pharmaceuticals and medical devices take advantage of nanotechnology and with a rising incidence of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease, the number of patients afflicted globally with non-healing wounds is growing. This has created a requirement for improved therapies and wound care. However, converting the strategies applied in early research into new products is still challenging. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 19;128:84-100. Epub 2018 Mar 19.

Division of Applied Chemistry, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University, Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8628, Japan; ImPACT Research Center for Advanced Nanobiodevices, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan; Innovative Research Center for Preventive Medical Engineering, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan; Institute of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan. Electronic address:

Lipid-based nanobiomaterials as liposomes and lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are the most widely used nanocarriers for drug delivery systems (DDSs). Extracellular vesicles (EVs) and exosomes are also expected to be applied as DDS nanocarriers. The performance of nanomedicines relies on their components such as lipids, targeting ligands, encapsulated DNA, encapsulated RNA, and drugs. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 19;127:167-184. Epub 2018 Mar 19.

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Bioengineering, and Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, 420 Westwood Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States. Electronic address:

Hydrogels have been utilized in regenerative applications for many decades because of their biocompatibility and similarity in structure to the native extracellular matrix. Initially, these materials were formed outside of the patient and implanted using invasive surgical techniques. However, advances in synthetic chemistry and materials science have now provided researchers with a library of techniques whereby hydrogel formation can occur in situ upon delivery through standard needles. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 15. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

BIOFORGE, CIBER-BBN, Edificio Lucia, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo Belén 19, 47011 Valladolid, Spain; G.I.R. BIOFORGE, Universidad de Valladolid, Paseo de Belén 19, 47011 Valladolid, Spain. Electronic address:

Wound healing is a complex process that, in healthy tissues, starts immediately after the injury. Even though it is a natural well-orchestrated process, large trauma wounds, or injuries caused by acids or other chemicals, usually produce a non-elastic deformed tissue that not only have biological reduced properties but a clear aesthetic effect. One of the main drawbacks of the scaffolds used for wound dressing is the lack of elasticity, driving to non-elastic and contracted tissues. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 15;125:78-93. Epub 2018 Mar 15.

Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, California NanoSystems Institute, Crump Institute for Molecular Imaging, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Electronic address:

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells shredded from either a primary tumor or a metastatic site and circulate in the blood as the potential cellular origin of metastasis. By detecting and analyzing CTCs, we will be able to noninvasively monitor disease progression in individual cancer patients and obtain insightful information for assessing disease status, thus realizing the concept of "tumor liquid biopsy". However, it is technically challenging to identify CTCs in patient blood samples because of the extremely low abundance of CTCs among a large number of hematologic cells. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 12;126:58-66. Epub 2018 Mar 12.

Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA; School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA. Electronic address:

The suprachoroidal space (SCS) is a potential space between the sclera and choroid that traverses the circumference of the posterior segment of the eye. The SCS is an attractive site for drug delivery because it targets the choroid, retinal pigment epithelium, and retina with high bioavailability, while maintaining low levels elsewhere in the eye. Indeed, phase III clinical trials are investigating the safety and efficacy of SCS drug delivery. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Feb 9;125:152. Epub 2018 Mar 9.

Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; University of California Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA; Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA. Electronic address:

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 7. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Materials Science and Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States; Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, United States.

The capacity to regenerate entire body parts, tissues, and organs had generally been thought to be lost in evolution with very few exceptions (e.g. the liver) surviving in mammals. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 5. Epub 2018 Mar 5.

Cell and Tissue Engineering Laboratory, IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, via Galeazzi, 4, 20161 Milano, Italy; Regenerative Medicine Technologies Lab, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale (EOC), Via Tesserete 46, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Regenerative Medicine (SIRM), Via ai Söi, Taverne, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Muscle fibrosis represents the end stage consequence of different diseases, among which muscular dystrophies, leading to severe impairment of muscle functions. Muscle fibrosis involves the production of several growth factors, cytokines and proteolytic enzymes and is strictly associated to inflammatory processes. Moreover, fibrosis causes profound changes in tissue properties, including increased stiffness and density, lower pH and oxygenation. Read More

Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2018 Mar 1. Epub 2018 Mar 1.

Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Laboratoire de Biochimie Médicale et Biologie Moléculaire, Reims, France; CNRS UMR 7369, Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire, Reims, France. Electronic address:

Wound healing, a complex physiological process, is responsible for tissue repair after exposure to destructive stimuli, without resulting in complete functional regeneration. Injuries can be stromal or epithelial, and most cases of wound repair have been studied in the skin and cornea. Lumican, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan, is expressed in the extracellular matrices of several tissues, such as the cornea, cartilage, and skin. Read More