Polymers Applied in Drug Delivery

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers are reshaping the landscape of modern drug delivery, offering capabilities that extend far beyond those of traditional excipients. Their ability to improve drug solubility and stability, modulate release profiles, enhance targeting, and support patient-centric formulations positions them at the forefront of current pharmaceutical innovation. With growing interest in personalized medicine and the rapid development of nanotechnology, stimuli-responsive materials, and advanced manufacturing approaches including electrospinning and 3D printing, polymer science has become an essential driver of next-generation therapeutic solutions.

For this Special Issue, “Polymers Applied in Drug Delivery,” we invite research and review articles that advance our understanding of how natural, synthetic, and smart polymers can be engineered to serve as effective drug carriers. Topics of particular relevance include polymeric nanoparticles, hydrogels, films, implants, and drug–polymer conjugates designed for oral, mucosal, ocular, dermal, transdermal, and parenteral administration. We are especially interested in work that elucidates polymer–drug interactions, structure–function relationships, targeting strategies, biodegradability and sustainability considerations, and the translation of polymer-based systems toward clinical or commercial application. Approaches leveraging computational modeling or artificial intelligence to guide polymer design are also welcome.

Through this Special Issue, we aim to curate contributions that highlight both scientific advances and practical challenges—ranging from precision targeting and controlled release to scalability, regulatory pathways, and patient compliance. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from pharmaceutical technology, polymer chemistry, materials science, and biomedical engineering, this collection will underline the central role of polymers in shaping innovative and effective drug delivery systems, while inspiring future developments in personalized and sustainable therapeutics.

Prof. Dr. Pornsak Sriamornsak
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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.