title: Drug delivery in biotechnology: present and future.
abstract: Drug delivery is becoming a whole interdisciplinary and independent field of research and is gaining the attention of pharmaceutical makers, medical doctors and industry. A targeted and safe drug delivery could improve the performance of some classical medicines already on the market and, moreover, will have implications for the development and success of new therapeutic strategies, such as peptide and protein delivery, glycoprotein administration, gene therapy and RNA interference. Many innovative technologies for effective drug delivery have been developed, including implants, nanotechnology, cell and peptide encapsulation, microfabrication, chemical modification and others. On the long way from the clinic to market, however, several issues will have to be addressed, including suitable scientific development, specific financial support as a result of altered scientific policy, government regulations and market forces.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain.
authors.forename: Gorka
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Orive
authors.forename: Rosa Maria
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hernández
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rodríguez Gascón
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Domínguez-Gil
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pedraz
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends*; D004345:Drug Industry / Q000639:trends; D017387:Investigational New Drug Application; D013678:Technology, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends