SMART plastic films programmed to release a precise sequence of drugs are poised to revolutionise drug delivery thanks to a breakthrough in polymer chemistry. The films could be used to coat implants such as artificial hips and tissue scaffolds to deliver phased shots over a period of hours or weeks.
Simple drug-releasing coatings are used in devices such as the stents used to keep arteries open after surgery. The coating continually releases a drug that inhibits the cell growth that can block an artery. But programmed, timed release of a sequence of drugs could have much broader applications.
The idea…
