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Advances in Polymer-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Cutaneous Applications

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 November 2025 | Viewed by 443

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor Assistant
“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of Romanian Academy, 41 A, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: drug delivery; smart materials; pharmaceutical applications

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
“Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of Romanian Academy, 41 A, Grigore Ghica Voda Alley, 700487 Iasi, Romania
Interests: thermodynamics; rheology; hydrogels; smart materials; self-assembling
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Transdermal drug delivery systems containing various active ingredients have recently garnered significant interest. Their administration represents a therapeutic alternative for multiple pathologies, limiting adverse effects and providing the advantage of avoiding the hepatic or gastrointestinal route. Additionally, polymer-based formulations offer the benefit of controlled and sustained release of the active ingredient. Systems based on polymers that are administered cutaneously can include gels like lipogels, emulsion-based gels (emulgels, nanoemulsions), β-cyclodextrin gel formulations, gels based on liposomes, hydrogels, polymer-based creams and ointments, polymeric nanoparticles, polymer films, polymer patches, polymer nanofibers, and polymeric microneedles. These formulations are beneficial for various conditions, as they can provide both local and, in some cases, systemic action. The transdermal systems ensure optimal bioavailability of the active ingredient, promote easy penetration through the stratum corneum, and maintain ideal concentrations of the active substances. The use of absorption promoters significantly enhances the bioavailability of the active substance. The formulations based on polymers can include active substances with diverse therapeutic characteristics, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, keratolytic, antineoplastic, analgesic, and wound-healing properties, which are successfully used in various application pathologies.

Dr. Ioana Alexandra Plugariu
Guest Editor Assistant

Dr. Maria Bercea
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. 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.

Keywords

  • smart polymers
  • polysaccharides
  • hydrogels
  • transdermal formulations
  • bioavailability
  • absorption promoters
  • gels
  • β-cyclodextrin
  • liposomes
  • therapeutic characteristics
  • pharmaceutics
  • drug delivery systems

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

30 pages, 4768 KiB  
Article
Polysaccharide Composites with Rosa canina for Sustained Anti-Inflammatory Skin Therapy
by Narcis Anghel, Irina Apostol, Ioana Plaesu, Alice Mija, Natalia Simionescu, Adina Coroaba and Iuliana Spiridon
Polymers 2025, 17(12), 1707; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17121707 - 19 Jun 2025
Viewed by 302
Abstract
This study presents novel skin-compatible biomaterials based on guar gum and dextran sulfate matrices, incorporating softwood lignin, lignin esterified with aspartic acid, and Rosa canina extract. The materials were prepared via casting and evaluated for physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed [...] Read more.
This study presents novel skin-compatible biomaterials based on guar gum and dextran sulfate matrices, incorporating softwood lignin, lignin esterified with aspartic acid, and Rosa canina extract. The materials were prepared via casting and evaluated for physicochemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Spectroscopic analyses confirmed successful lignin esterification, with new carbonyl and amide peaks and a nitrogen signal (3.83%) detected. Rosa canina extract enhanced the Young’s modulus from 1.42 MPa to 3.18 MPa and reduced elongation at break from 34.88 mm to 25.19 mm. The combination of esterified lignin and Rosa canina showed the greatest mechanical reinforcement (3.74 MPa modulus, 23.78 mm elongation). Swelling capacity decreased from 0.40 to 0.23 g water/g material and followed pseudo-second-order kinetics (R2 = 0.991–0.998). The release of Rosa canina bioactives followed the Makoid–Banakar model, indicating a transition from rapid to sustained release. All formulations exhibited anti-inflammatory activity with over 45% protein denaturation inhibition, peaking at 61.58% for the Rosa canina-only sample. In vitro biocompatibility assays demonstrated over 80% cell viability, confirming the potential of these biomaterials for dermal applications. Full article
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