Overcoming Biological Barriers: Novel Strategies in Drug Delivery
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 December 2025 | Viewed by 57
Special Issue Editors
Interests: blood-brain barrier; bioequivalence; in vivo predictive dissolution; in vitro-in vivo correlation; PBPK; pharmacokinetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: PBPK; biowaivers; pharmacokinetics; dissolution; absorption; drug solubility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Effective drug delivery remains one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine due to the presence of complex biological barriers that protect the body but also hinder therapeutic access to target tissues. These barriers include the intestinal epithelium, the blood–brain barrier (BBB), mucosal membranes, the skin, the blood–testis and placental barriers, as well as specialized stromal and hydrogels within tissues.
Each barrier presents unique structural and functional challenges. To overcome these obstacles, innovative drug delivery strategies have been developed, such as nanotechnology-based carriers that enhance tissue penetration; biomaterial engineering approaches that dynamically interact with biological barriers; cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) to facilitate cellular uptake; hydrogel-based systems for controlled release; and receptor-mediated and targeted delivery mechanisms that exploit endogenous transport pathways.
This Special Issue will showcase cutting-edge research and reviews on the mechanisms by which biological barriers impede drug delivery and the latest technological advances designed to overcome them. Contributions will span fundamental studies on barrier biology, novel carrier design, translational approaches, and clinical perspectives, with a focus on improving therapeutic outcomes for diseases that have so far been limited by these formidable physiological defences.
Researchers are invited to contribute original articles and reviews that highlight innovative solutions and future directions in the field of drug delivery across biological barriers.
Dr. Bárbara Sánchez-Dengra
Prof. Dr. Isabel González-Álvarez
Guest Editors
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
- biological barriers
- drug delivery systems
- permeability
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.