Drug Delivery Applications of Noninvasive Imaging. Validation from Biodistribution to Sites of Action

The opportunities and challenges of using dendrimers to improve drug delivery Among pharmaceutical and biomedical researchers, the use of dendrimers in drug delivery systems has attracted increasing interest. In particular, researchers have noted that the volume of a dendrimer increases when it has a positive charge. If this property can be applied effectively, dendrimers have enormous potential in drug delivery systems, directly supplying medication to targeted human organs. With contributions from an international team of pioneers and experts in dendrimer research, this book provides a comprehensive overview of the latest research efforts in designing and optimizing dendrimer-based drug delivery systems. The book analyzes key issues, demonstrating the critical connections that link fundamental concepts, design, synthesis, analytical methodology, and biological assessment to the practical use of dendrimers in drug delivery applications. Topics covered include: Dendrimer history Synthesis Physicochemical properties Principles of drug delivery Applications in diverse biomedical fields Dendrimer-Based Drug Delivery Systems reflects the authors' thorough review and analysis of the current literature as well as their own firsthand experience in the lab. Readers will not only discover the current state of the science, but also gain valuable insights into fruitful directions for future research. References at the end of each chapter serve as a gateway to the growing body of literature in the field, enabling readers to explore each individual topic in greater depth. Pharmaceutical and biomedical researchers will find this book a unique and essential guide to the opportunities, issues, and challenges involved in fully exploiting the potential of dendrimers to improve drug delivery.

This is an authoritative, comprehensive book on the fate of drug molecules in the body, including implications for pharmacological and clinical effects. The text provides a unique, balanced approach, examining the specific physical and biological factors affecting the absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of drugs, together with mathematical assessment of the concentrations in plasma and body fluids. Understanding the equations requires little more than a basic knowledge of algebra, laws of indices and logarithms, and very simple calculus. A companion web site contains additional illustrations, further equations and numerous worked examples. Whilst this book has its roots in the highly acclaimed book of the same name, written by Stephen Curry nearly thirty years ago, it is essentially a new book having been restructured and largely rewritten. This readable and informative book is an invaluable resource for professionals and students needing to develop a rational approach to the investigation and application of drugs.

RNA interference (RNAi) is a process in living cells whereby small double stranded RNA interferes with the expression of specific genes with complementary nucleotide sequence. Like many nucleic acid-based therapies, RNAi has great potential in treating various life-threatening diseases. However, the poor stability and cellular uptake of RNAi molecules remain considerable barriers to their efficient delivery which is paramount to a successful therapy. This book provides a comprehensive introduction to RNAi delivery, then goes on to discuss different delivery strategies, and concludes with current applications in various diseases. It covers: Mechanisms, Barriers, and Analysis of RNAi Delivery Nonclinical Safety Assessments and Clinical Pharmacokinetics: A Regulatory Perspective Bioconjugation of siRNA for Site Specifi c Delivery Nanoscale Delivery Systems for RNAi Environmentally-Responsive Delivery Systems for RNAi Light-sensitive RNAi Viral-Mediated Delivery of shRNA and miRNA RNAi applications in Cancer Therapy, Liver Diseases, Hepatitis B, and Ocular Disease miRNA as therapeutic agents and targets Advanced Delivery and Therapeutic Applications of RNAi combines the essential aspects of developing RNAi therapeutics from bench to clinic, and is invaluable for researchers working on RNAi, drug discovery and delivery, biomedical engineering, biomaterials, molecular biology, and biotechnology.

Drug discrimination: a practical guide to its contributions to the invention of new chemical entities and evaluations of new or known pharmacological agents Drug discrimination can be described as a «drug detection» procedure that uses a pharmacologically active agent as the subjective stimulus. Although the procedure does require some effort to implement, it can be an extremely important tool for understanding drug action. Whereas medicinal chemists should come to learn the types of information that drug discrimination studies can offer, pharmacologists and psychologists might come to realize how medicinal chemists can apply the types of information that the paradigm routinely provides. Drug Discrimination: Applications to Medicinal Chemistry and Drug Studies provides in-depth analyses of the nature and use of drugs as discriminative stimuli and bridges some of the numerous gaps between medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and psychology. Stressing the practical aspects of drug discrimination, including types of procedures, study design, data, and interpretation, the book details the advantages and limitations of drug discrimination studies versus other pharmacologic evaluations. Practical information from leading researchers in the field addresses specific topics and techniques that are of interest in drug discovery, evaluation, and development. A groundbreaking new guide to the applications of drug discrimination studies for medicinal chemistry and neuroscience, Drug Discrimination is essential for any scientist, researcher, or student whose interests involve the design, development, and/or action of drugs acting at the level of the central nervous system.

This book covers various aspects of antibody mediated drug delivery systems – theoretical aspects, processing, viral and non-viral vectors, and fields where these systems find and /or are being evaluated for applications as therapeutics and diagnostic treatment. Chapters discuss actual applications of techniques used for formulation and characterization. Applications areas include cancer, pulmonary, ocular diseases; brain drug delivery; and vaccine delivery. The contributing authors represent over 10 different countries, covering recent developments happening around the globe.

Provides both fundamentals and new and emerging applications Advanced Drug Delivery brings readers fully up to date with the state of the science, presenting the basics, formulation strategies, and therapeutic applications of advanced drug delivery. The book demonstrates how core concepts of pharmaceutical sciences, chemistry, and molecular biology can be combined and applied in order to spark novel ideas to design and develop advanced drug delivery systems for the treatment of a broad range of human diseases. Advanced Drug Delivery features contributions from an international team of pharmaceutical scientists. Chapters reflect a thorough review and analysis of the literature as well as the authors' firsthand experience developing drug delivery systems. The book is divided into four parts: Part I, Introduction and Basics of Advanced Drug Delivery, explores physiological barriers, stability, transporters, and biomaterials in drug delivery Part II, Strategies for Advanced Drug Delivery, offers tested and proven strategies for advanced delivery of both small molecules and macromolecules Part III, Translational Research of Advanced Drug Delivery, focuses on regulatory considerations and translational applications of advanced drug delivery systems for the treatment of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, sexually transmitted diseases, ophthalmic diseases, and brain diseases Part IV, Future Applications of Advanced Drug Delivery in Emerging Research Areas, examines stem cell research, cell-based therapeutics, tissue engineering, and molecular imaging Each chapter provides objectives and assessment questions to help readers grasp key concepts and assess their knowledge as they progress through the book. Advanced Drug Delivery is recommended for graduates and upper-level undergraduates in the pharmaceutical sciences who need a solid foundation in the basics. It is also recommended for pharmaceutical professionals who want to take advantage of new and emerging applications in advanced drug delivery systems.

Steroid dimers are an important group of compounds produced by various marine organisms, and also synthesized in the laboratories. This group of compounds possesses various pharmacological and biological properties, and can also be used to create “molecular umbrellas” for drug delivery. Steroid Dimers: Chemistry and Applications in Drug Design and Delivery provides an up-to-date overview on the chemistry and applications of steroid dimers of natural and synthetic origins. The book includes easy-to-follow synthetic protocols for various classes of important dimeric steroids, source details, valuable spectroscopic data and depiction of unique structural features of natural steroidal dimers, and the Structure-Activity-Relationships (SARs) of some pharmacologically active dimeric steroids. Topics covered include: introduction to steroid dimers synthesis and chemistry of noncyclic and cyclic steroid dimers naturally occurring steroid dimers – cephalostatins, ritterazines and crellastatins biological and pharmacological functions of steroid dimers and their application in drug design and discovery steroid dimers as “molecular umbrellas” for drug delivery Steroid Dimers: Chemistry and Applications in Drug Design and Delivery is an essential guide to this important class of natural and synthetic compounds for researchers and students of natural products chemistry and biochemistry, synthetic organic and medicinal chemistry, and drug design, discovery and delivery.

This groundbreaking, multidisciplinary work is one of the first books to cover Nanotheragnostics, the new developmental edge of nanomedicine. Through a collection of authoritative chapters, the book reports on nanoscopic therapeutic systems that incorporate therapeutic agents, molecular targeting, and diagnostic imaging capabilities. An invaluable reference for researchers in materials science, bioengineering, pharmacy, biotechnology, and nanotechnology, this volume features four main parts on biomedical nanomaterials, advanced nanomedicine, nanotheragnostics, and nanoscaffolds technology.

An integral overview of the theory and design of printheads, authored by an expert with over 30 years' experience in the field of inkjet printing. Clearly structured, the book presents the design of a printhead in a comprehensive and clear form, right from the start. To begin with, the working principle of piezo-driven drop-on-demand printheads in theory is discussed, building on the theory of mechanical vibrations and acoustics. Then the design of single-nozzle as well as multi-nozzle printheads is presented, including the importance of various parameters that need to be optimized, such as viscosity, surface tension and nozzle shape. Topics such as refilling the nozzle and the impact of the droplet on the surface are equally treated. The text concludes with a unique set of worked-out questions for training purposes as well as case studies and a look at what the future holds. An essential reference for beginning as well as experienced researchers, from ink developers to mechanical engineers, both in industry and academia.

Frank discussions of opportunities and challenges point the way to new, more effective drug delivery systems Interest in nanomedicine has grown tremendously, fueled by the expectation that continued research will lead to the safe, efficient, and cost-effective delivery of drugs or imaging agents to human tissues and organs. The field, however, has faced several challenges attempting to translate novel ideas into clinical benefits. With contributions from an international team of leading nanomedicine researchers, this book provides a practical assessment of the possibilities and the challenges of modern nanomedicine that will enable the development of clinically effective nanoparticulate drug delivery products and systems. Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Systems focuses on the rationales and preclinical evaluation of new nanoparticulate drug carriers that have yet to be thoroughly reviewed in the literature. The first chapter sets the stage with a general overview of targeted nanomedicine. The book then explores new and promising nanoparticulate drug delivery systems, including: Lipid nanoparticles for the delivery of nucleic acids Multifunctional dendritic nanocarriers Polymer drug nanoconjugates Next, the book presents new opportunities and challenges for nanoparticulate drug delivery systems, including: Clearance of nanoparticles during circulation Drug delivery strategies for combatting multiple drug resistance Toxicological assessment of nanomedicine Chapters offer state-of-the-technology reviews with extensive references to facilitate further investigation. Moreover, each chapter concludes with an expert assessment of remaining challenges, pointing the way to solutions and new avenues of research. With its frank discussions of opportunities and challenges, Nanoparticulate Drug Delivery Systems sets a solid foundation for new research leading to the discovery and development of better nanomedicines.