Advanced Materials Science and Technology in Drug Delivery, 2nd Edition
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: Nanomaterials; Drug delivery systems; Biomimetic materials; Biogenic calcium sources; Composite scaffolds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
This second edition of the Special Issue “Advanced Materials Science and Technology in Drug Delivery” aims to showcase the most recent developments in material-driven breakthroughs that shape the future of drug delivery systems. This edition invites pioneering research and comprehensive reviews covering the discovery, engineering, and application of innovative materials to improve therapeutic efficacy, control release profiles, enhance targeting precision, and address ongoing clinical and industrial challenges.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Nanomaterials (e.g., nanoparticles, quantum dots, liposomes, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, graphene, fullerenes, and mesoporous silica nanoparticles) for targeted and controlled drug delivery.
- Responsive and smart materials capable of stimuli-triggered release (e.g., pH, temperature, and enzymatic activity).
- Polymers and hydrogels as advanced carriers for small molecules, peptides, proteins, and nucleic acids.
- Hybrid systems combining multiple material classes for synergy in delivery function and biocompatibility.
- Surface engineering and functionalization for improved cellular uptake, stability, and prolonged circulation.
- Translational and clinical aspects—from scalable manufacturing and regulatory perspectives to bench-to-bedside applications.
- Multifunctional and personalized delivery platforms that tailor therapeutic strategies to individual patient needs.
Compared to the first edition, this Special Issue places a stronger emphasis on clinical impact and emerging technologies, such as bioinspired systems, organ-on-a-chip-integrated delivery platforms, and AI-assisted material design. While the first edition focused primarily on exploring innovative materials and their fundamental applications in drug delivery, this new edition expands the scope to encourage interdisciplinary insights that bridge material science, pharmaceutical technology, biology, and engineering, fostering interdisciplinary solutions to the ever-evolving landscape of drug delivery.
Dr. Ionela Andreea Neacsu
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- • Nanomaterials • Metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) • Hybrid and polymer-lipid nanoparticles • Hydrogels (injectable, responsive) • Polymers (natural: chitosan, hyaluronic acid, and dextrin
- synthetic: PEG, PCL, and PLA) • Stimuli-responsive/bioresponsive drug delivery (pH, temperature, enzymatic, redox, magnetic, and light-triggered) • Site-specific delivery (e.g., tumor, brain, oral, and mucosal) • Imaging-guided or theranostic drug delivery • Co-delivery systems (simultaneous delivery of multiple drugs or agents) • Surface modification/functionalization of carriers • Ligand/receptor targeting (e.g., folic acid, peptides, and antibodies) • Encapsulation and loading efficiency • Microfluidic-based formulation
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