Sol-gel Chemistry in Medicinal Science

Title: Sol-gel Chemistry in Medicinal Science

Volume: 13 Issue: 1

Author(s): Thibaud Coradin, Michel Boissiere and Jacques Livage

Affiliation:

Keywords: Sol-gel, hybrid materials, silica, encapsulation, biosensors, drug delivery, artificial organs

Abstract: The sol-gel process is an inorganic polymerization process taking place in mild conditions, allowing the association of mineral phases with organic or biological systems. The possibility to immobilize drugs, enzymes, antibodies and even whole cells without loss of their biological activity led to the development of diagnostic tools, drug delivery carriers as well as new hosts for artificial organ design. These systems take profit from the wide variety of chemical compositions, dimensions and forms that can be achieved via sol-gel chemistry. Recent advances involve multifunctional "smart" devices combining biocompatibility, biological activity and stimuli-responsive materials. The design of such novel devices with significant added value when compared to current products is probably a key factor when foreseeing industrial developments of sol-gel materials in medicinal science.

Cite this article as:

Coradin Thibaud, Boissiere Michel and Livage Jacques, Sol-gel Chemistry in Medicinal Science, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2006; 13 (1) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/092986706789803044