Modelling smart drug release with functionally graded materials

Gabriella Bretti; Sean McGinty; Giuseppe Pontrelli

doi:10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107294

Modelling smart drug release with functionally graded materials

Comput Biol Med. 2023 Sep:164:107294. doi: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107294. Epub 2023 Jul 31.

Authors

Gabriella Bretti¹, Sean McGinty², Giuseppe Pontrelli³

Affiliations

¹ Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo - CNR, Via dei Taurini 19 00185 Rome, Italy.
² Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
³ Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo - CNR, Via dei Taurini 19 00185 Rome, Italy. Electronic address: giuseppe.pontrelli@gmail.com.

PMID: 37562324
DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2023.107294

Abstract

Functionally graded materials (FGMs), possessing properties that vary smoothly from one region to another, have been receiving increasing attention in recent years, particularly in the aerospace, automotive and biomedical sectors. However, they have yet to reach their full potential. In this paper, we explore the potential of FGMs in the context of drug delivery, where the unique material characteristics offer the potential of fine-tuning drug-release for the desired application. Specifically, we develop a mathematical model of drug release from a thin film FGM, based upon a spatially-varying drug diffusivity. We demonstrate that, depending on the functional form of the diffusivity (related to the material properties) a wide range of drug release profiles may be obtained. Interestingly, the shape of these release profiles are not, in general, achievable from a homogeneous medium with a constant diffusivity.

Keywords: Drug delivery; Mathematical models; Numerical methods; Smart materials.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Drug Delivery Systems*
Drug Liberation
Models, Theoretical*