title: Medical devices modified at the surface by gamma-ray grafting for drug loading and delivery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Medical devices with the capability of hosting drugs are being sought for prophylaxis and treatment of inflammatory response and microbial colonization and proliferation that are associated with their use.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review analyzes the interest of gamma-ray irradiation for providing medical devices with surfaces able to load drugs and to deliver them in a controlled way. The papers published in the last 20 years on the subject of gamma-ray irradiation methods for surface functionalization of polymers and their application for developing medicated medical devices are discussed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The information reported may help to gain insight to the state-of-the-art of gamma-ray irradiation approaches and their current advantages/limitations for tailoring the surface of medical devices to fit preventive and curative demands.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Grafting of polymer chains able to establish specific interactions with the drug, grafting of stimuli-responsive networks that regulate drug diffusion through the hydrogel-type surface as a function of the surrounding conditions, and grafting of cyclodextrins that control uptake and delivery through the affinity constant of inclusion complexes have been revealed as efficient approaches for endowing medical devices with the capability of also acting as drug delivery systems.
authors.affiliation: Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Departamento de Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica, 15782-Santiago de Compostela, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alvarez-Lorenzo
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bucio
authors.forename: Guillermina
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burillo
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Concheiro
mesh_terms: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D005720:Gamma Rays / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry; D055553:Prescription Drugs / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D011108:Polymers; D055553:Prescription Drugs