Controlled Drug Delivery Systems and Formulations

Controlled drug delivery systems encompass a range of engineered carriers—such as microspheres, nanoparticles, liposomes, hydrogels and implantable devices—designed to release therapeutic agents at predetermined rates, durations and sites of action. By modulating physicochemical properties and material composition, these platforms address key challenges in pharmacotherapy: reducing dosing frequency, minimising systemic side effects, improving bioavailability and targeting specific tissues or cells. Strategies include matrix‐based diffusion, reservoir systems with rate‐controlling membranes, stimuli‐responsive polymers that alter release in response to pH, temperature or enzymes, and layer‐by‐layer assemblies that achieve zero‐order kinetics. Advances in polymer science, surface functionalisation and microfabrication permit tailoring of particle size, degradation rate, surface charge and ligand density to meet clinical requirements, from sustained hormone therapy to single‐injection vaccination. Such innovations promise to enhance patient adherence, broaden the therapeutic window of labile molecules and open routes to personalised medicine across oncology, endocrinology, immunisation and beyond.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Hydrogen‐bonded layer‐by‐layer films composed of PEGylated peptides and natural polyphenols have demonstrated near‐ideal zero‐order release of bioactive peptides. By exploiting dynamic film disintegration under physiological conditions, the system maintains constant plasma peptide levels over extended periods, tunable via pH and temperature cues, and shows enhanced therapeutic efficacy in vivo. Separately, copolymeric nanoparticles of methoxy-PEG–PLA and PLA–PEG–PLA have been optimised for encapsulation of recombinant human growth hormone. Variations in block ratio control initial burst and sustain release for over a month, while preserving protein stability and bioactivity. These foundational platforms illustrate how polymer architecture and mild fabrication techniques can yield long‐acting delivery vehicles for sensitive biologics.

Controlled Drug Delivery Systems and Formulations publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in controlled drug delivery systems and formulations across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Controlled release: delivery of a therapeutic agent at a predefined rate for a specified period to achieve optimal therapeutic effect.

Zero-order kinetics: drug release profile in which a constant amount of drug is liberated per unit time, independent of concentration.

Encapsulation efficiency: fraction of the initial drug that is successfully loaded into a carrier system relative to the amount initially employed.

Nanoliposome: lipid bilayer vesicle in the nanometre size range used to encapsulate drugs for targeted and sustained delivery with high biocompatibility.

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA): biodegradable copolymer widely utilised for forming microparticles and nanoparticles that degrade by hydrolysis to release encapsulated therapeutics.

References

1. A Drug Carrier for Sustained Zero-Order Release of Peptide Therapeutics. Scientific Reports (2017).
2. mPEG-PLA and PLA-PEG-PLA nanoparticles as new carriers for delivery of recombinant human Growth Hormone (rhGH). Scientific Reports (2018).
3. Peptide Engraftment on PEGylated Nanoliposomes for Bone Specific Delivery of PTH (1-34) in Osteoporosis. Pharmaceutics (2023).
4. Anabolic Peptide-Enriched Stealth Nanoliposomes for Effective Anti-Osteoporotic Therapy. Pharmaceutics (2022).
5. Preparation and in vitro release of total alkaloids from alstonia scholaris leaf-loaded mPEG-PMA microspheres. Materials Research Express (2021).