Pharmaceutical particles

Recent developments in the discovery of new medicines have
improved satisfaction as well as life expectancy of the patients
suffering from diseases. Nevertheless, the physiochemical properties
such as bio-availability and water solubility as well as rapid drug
metabolism and clearance from blood systemic circulation have
confined the optimal prescriptions of drugs at effective pharmacological
dosage. Although the plasma concentration of drugs may be
maintained at an appropriate level over a short period through
sequential administrations, it may result in higher overall cytotoxicity
and severe adverse side effects at healthy organs. Therefore,
drug delivery systems (DDS) were proposed as an innovative route
for the sustained and controlled delivery of drugs at pharmacological
concentrations to target tissues. The DDS are micro-/nanoparticulate
structures made of biodegradable and biocompatible
materials, especially biodegradable polymers, which encapsulate
pharmaceutical agents and release them through diffusion, degradation
and erosion phenomena.