Functional Materials in Biomedical Applications

This book presents modern trends that regard the utilization of advanced functional materials for the development of innovative pharmaceuticals. Such materials include classes of lipids, polymers, proteins, and peptides, as well as inorganic materials, which find application in nanomedicinal products, drug delivery systems, medical devices, biotechnological products, and several other technologies. These products are promising for the therapy and diagnosis of diseases. Special attention is given to the available analytical techniques utilized for the evaluation of materials, their interactions, and their properties as well as the functionality of the final pharmaceutical forms. In addition, scale-up opportunities and limitations of nanomaterials and the current and emerging challenges in their clinical translation, with reference to relative regulatory aspects, are discussed. The book covers the latest advances in functional materials for biomedical applications and will serve as a guide for the industry and aid future research. It will be useful for upper undergraduate students and graduate students, young researchers (in the fields of pharmaceutics and materials sciences), scientists who want to enrich their knowledge on advanced drug delivery nanocarriers and their applications, researchers in the Big Pharma and readers who want to learn more about the role of nanoscience in the design and development of nanomedicines.

Costas Demetzos is professor of pharmaceutical nanotechnology in the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Since 2008, he serves as president of the Hellenic Pharmaceutical Society. In 2021, he was elected an ordinary member in Class IV-Natural Sciences of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Natassa Pippa is assistant professor in Section of Pharmaceutical Technology, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. Her research is focused on pharmaceutical technology and drug delivery. She is a recipient of the prestigious International Association of Advanced Materials Scientist Medal (2016) for her contribution in the field of advanced materials science and technology and the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science award in 2021.

Nikolaos Naziris is a graduate in pharmacy and holds an MSc in industrial pharmacy and a PhD in pharmacy, with expertise on pharmaceutical nanotechnology. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Section of Pharmaceutical Technolofy, Faculty of Pharmacy, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He was adjunct professor at the University of Lodz in Poland from 2021 to 2022.