title: Polymer sutures for simultaneous wound healing and drug delivery - A review.
abstract: Drug delivery using suitable polymeric devices has gathered momentum in the recent years due to their remarkable properties. The versatility of polymeric materials makes them reliable candidates for site targeted drug release. Among them biodegradable sutures has received considerable attention because they offer great promises in the realm of drug delivery. Sutures have been found to be an effective strategy for the delivery of antibacterial agents or anti-inflammatory drugs to the surgical site. Recent developments yielded sutures with improved mechanical properties, but designing sutures with all the desirable properties is still under investigation. This review is an attempt to analyze the recent developments pertaining to biologically active sutures emphasizing their potential as drug delivery vehicle.
authors.affiliation: International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam 686 560, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Blessy
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Joseph
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Kottayam Medical College, Kerala, India.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: George
authors.affiliation: Plant Lipids Pvt. Ltd., Kolencherry, Cochin, India.
authors.forename: Sreeraj
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gopi
authors.affiliation: International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam 686 560, Kerala, India; School of Pure and Applied Physics, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam 686 560, Kerala, India. Electronic address: nkkalarikkal@mgu.ac.in.
authors.forename: Nandakumar
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kalarikkal
authors.affiliation: International and Inter University Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam 686 560, Kerala, India; School of Chemical Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam 686 560, Kerala, India. Electronic address: sabuchathukulam@yahoo.co.uk.
authors.forename: Sabu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
mesh_terms: D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D006801:Humans; D011108:Polymers; D013537:Sutures; D014945:Wound Healing
chemical_list: D011108:Polymers
keywords: Antibacterial; Biodegradable; Drug delivery; Scaffolds; Sutures