MONDAY, 10 MAY 2010
This slow delivery of protein drugs would enhance their therapeutic benefits greatly. Protein drugs are used to treat a wide range of illnesses but their therapeutic effects are limited by their unstable nature. The drugs are easily denatured in the body and administering them intravenously or via oral pills often causes plasma concentrations that are either too low to have a therapeutic effect or too high and cause toxicity. Methods such as these can lead to significant revolution in the delivery of therapeutic agents.
The research provides a useful experimental platform for the development for sustained in vivo release of highly potent therapeutics.
Written by Nitika Somani
![](mailto:?subject=Bio-Gels for Drug Delivery&body=https://bluesci.soc.srcf.net/posts/bio-gels-for-drug-delivery <div class='caption'><div id="attachment_3064" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="Gel controlled time-release drugs will help treat many different illnesses"><a href="https://bluesci.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/5650927834_dcd3052837_z.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-3064" title="From: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rhinoneal/5650927834/sizes/z/in/photostream/" src="https://bluesci.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/5650927834_dcd3052837_z-240x300.jpg" alt="" width="240" height="300" /></a></div></div>The gel is designed using biocompatible components, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and polyethyleneimine, that electrostatically link to form a gel on exposure to physiological conditions. The gel was found to be porous enough to release the test protein drug, albumen, in a slow and controlled manner over a period of up to 15 days, while preventing biological materials from entering.<br><br>This slow delivery of protein drugs would enhance their therapeutic benefits greatly. Protein drugs are used to treat a wide range of illnesses but their therapeutic effects are limited by their unstable nature. The drugs are easily denatured in the body and administering them intravenously or via oral pills often causes plasma concentrations that are either too low to have a therapeutic effect or too high and cause toxicity. Methods such as these can lead to significant revolution in the delivery of therapeutic agents.<br><br>The research provides a useful experimental platform for the development for sustained<em> in vivo</em> release of highly potent therapeutics.<br><br>Written by Nitika Somani){kind=link}