Advances in Colloidal Drug Delivery Systems

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Drug Delivery and Controlled Release".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 August 2025 | Viewed by 1147

Special Issue Editor

Department of Chemistry, University of Bergen, 5007 Bergen, Norway
Interests: drug formulation; nano-drug delivery system; drug diffusion; hydrogels

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The Pharmaceutics journal is excited to present a Special Issue entitled "Advances in Colloidal Drug Delivery Systems". Colloidal drug delivery systems, including liposomes, nanoparticles, and micelles, are pivotal to enhancing the solubility, stability, and bioavailability of therapeutic agents. These systems offer targeted delivery and controlled release, improving therapeutic outcomes and reducing side effects. The scientific background emphasizes the versatility and adaptability of colloidal carriers in addressing the challenges of traditional drug formulations. This research is crucial for developing innovative solutions that improve patient compliance and treatment efficacy. The aim of this Special Issue is to showcase the latest advancements in the design, synthesis, and application of colloidal systems in drug delivery. Contributions are invited that explore novel materials, formulation strategies, characterization techniques, and clinical applications, providing a comprehensive overview of current trends and future directions in this dynamic field.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Wei Wang
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

  • colloidal drug delivery
  • liposomes
  • nanoparticles
  • micelles
  • solubility enhancement
  • bioavailability
  • targeted delivery
  • controlled release

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.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

18 pages, 2202 KiB  
Article
Nanoformulation of Polymyxin E Through Complex Coacervation: A Pharmacokinetic Analysis
by Xiaobao Chen, Li Liu, Weidan Wang, Yuan Yuan and Wei Wang
Pharmaceutics 2025, 17(1), 76; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics17010076 - 8 Jan 2025
Viewed by 721
Abstract
Objectives: Polymyxin E (PME), a polymyxin antibiotic, serves as a final resort against antibiotic resistance. Nephrotoxicity is the primary concern when employing PME. To alleviate this issue, researchers have explored strategies including dosing adjustments and innovative formulations. This study employed complex coacervation to [...] Read more.
Objectives: Polymyxin E (PME), a polymyxin antibiotic, serves as a final resort against antibiotic resistance. Nephrotoxicity is the primary concern when employing PME. To alleviate this issue, researchers have explored strategies including dosing adjustments and innovative formulations. This study employed complex coacervation to create PME nanoformulations, capitalizing on PME’s charge properties. The research question and hypothesis posed pertained to whether neutralization of PME’s positive charge during formulation would reduce its antibiotic efficacy and alter its tissue distribution and other pharmacokinetic parameters. Our objective was to evaluate the capability of complex coacervation to mitigate the adverse effects of PME while preserving its antibacterial potency and therapeutic effectiveness. Methods: Three negatively charged polyions: potassium sucrose octasulfate, polytamic acid, and sodium hyaluronate, were used for formulation. We performed characterization on the nanocomplex formed by the polyions and PME. The nanoformulations underwent several tests, including minimum inhibitory concentration, in vivo efficacy on an infected mouse model, pharmacokinetic assessments, tissue distribution, and toxicity. Results: the three polyions formed coacervation complexes with PME at varying charge ratios, yielding nanoparticles smaller than 30 nm with low polydispersity (PDI < 0.3). The results demonstrated that complex coacervation-mediated PME nanoformulations exhibited equivalent or superior antibacterial activity, increased maximum tolerant dose, and fewer adverse reactions in animal tests. Conclusions: Utilizing complex coacervation, PME nanoformulations were developed, demonstrating efficacy in the formulation process. Pharmacokinetic assessments revealed absorption and distribution profiles akin to those of standalone PME. The positive charge inherent in PME causing its toxicity was mitigated after complex coacervation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Colloidal Drug Delivery Systems)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop