Functional Nanofiber for Drug Delivery Applications

Abstract

Electrospinning is an appropriate process to fabricate nanofibers for various applications. Regarding the intrinsically high surface-to-volume ratio of electrospun fibers, they are suitable candidates for drug loading with enhanced mass transfer properties. The diverse therapeutic agents, e.g., proteins, DNA, RNA, as well as chemical drugs, could be incorporated to the nanofibers. By controlling the nanofiber morphologies, its type, and drug incorporating methods, the preferred drug release and diffusion can be adjusted depending on the intended application. In this chapter, an attempt is made to cover the most usable methods to incorporate the therapeutic agents into the nanofibers and investigate the release mechanisms, factors, and methods to control the drug releasing rate. Most usable polymeric materials to fabricate fiber-based drug delivery formulations will also be introduced.