Most drugs are toxic to cells that often kill healthy cells and establish several side effects. Conventional chemotherapy cargoes are not tumor-specific and commonly their nature leads to significant toxic effects on healthy tissues. Therefore, several drug delivery systems (DDSs) were developed to amend the therapeutic properties of drugs and made them safer and more effective. Local drug delivery which decreases systemic drug exposure, is an important approach for maximal efficacy, high levels of patient compliance, and fewer side effects. Smart drug delivery systems (SDDSs) have gained much attention and paved the way for more effective treatment of patients. SDDSs with stimuli-responsive characteristics are determined as the process that the payloads are not released before reaching the target site. This triggered release occurs due to the variations in the nano/microcarrier chemistry and structure, in response to endogenous and/or exogenous stimulus, establishing the release of the cargoes to the exact place. Responsive and smart materials/biomaterials are responsive/sensitive to signals originating from physiological systems, or to abnormalities originating from pathological defects, that can interact with or be triggered by the biological environments, and are interesting in drug delivery platforms/devices for developing next-generation accurate medicines. In exogenous-triggered delivery, drug/gene release is controlled by external stimulus, which can be controlled exactly. Different exogenous triggers have been reported, such as light, magnetic field, temperature, electrical field, and ultrasound. The endogenous triggers such as pH, redox, enzyme concentration, and bio-molecules are related to the disease's pathological characteristics. Disease pathological characteristics are key parameters as physiological triggers for designing programmed delivery devices that may be used for the non-invasive and effective treatment of a wide range of pathological conditions such as cancer, infections, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disorders, stroke, and chronic wounds, and degenerative diseases. Endogenously triggered drug release is the same as exogenously triggered drug release, which can lead to enhanced release of therapeutic molecules at the target place in its therapeutic concentration, reducing local toxicity and side effects, reducing the need for repeat administrations, and increasing patient compliance. Here, we focused on smart endogenous and exogenous stimuli-responsive biomaterials for programmed drug delivery. The conventional drug delivery systems are not without any limitations and challenges. One of the most important challenges is related to their degradability or insufficient biocompatibility of most materials which are used in smart delivery system. Another challenge is related to the using of 2D in vitro models or in vivo animal studies to evaluate the performance of these systems, and there is a poor relation between such results and human clinical trials. Thus, these incompatibilities can lead to the failing of the numerous smart systems in clinical studies. In this special issue, we focus on smart multi-responsive drug delivery systems that can address some challenges and drawbacks. Research paper, commutation (letter), mini-review and review are acceptable for publications in this special issue. Main topics: 1- Smart exogenous-triggered delivery systems 2- Smart endogenous-triggered delivery systems 3- Multi-responsive targeted vehicles 4- Stimuli-responsive niosomes and liposomes 5- Multifunctional biomaterials for cancer treatment 6- Smart 3D and 4D scaffolds for localized delivery systems

Polymeric Materials for Biomedical Implants: Characterization, Properties, and Applications offers a comprehensive guide to the various polymers utilized in the development and application of biomedical implants. These materials possess unique properties which make them ideal for use in biomedical implants, including their high degree of flexibility, ease of fabrication, non-magnetic and radio transparent properties for medical imaging, and ease of engineering for biocompatibility. The book thoroughly reviews the properties, characterization and a broad range of applications of polymeric materials in biomedical implants, bringing all key information on this important topic together under a single reference. The book's chapters cover vital topics for the development of polymeric biomedical implants, including biomaterial-tissue interactions, mechanical and surface property requirements for different implants, as well as market and ethical issues. This will be a useful reference for academics and researchers working in materials science, biomedical engineering, regenerative medicine and pharmacology, as well as R&D groups developing biomedical implants. - Helps the reader make an informed choice when selecting polymeric materials for use in biomedical implants - Covers a broad range of applications of biomedical implants, including cancer therapy, orthopedics, cardiovascular, biosensing and wound healing - Emphasizes the importance of biocompatibility, with chapters covering toxicity and degradation aspects, as well as biomaterial-tissue interactions and the foreign body response

The increased understanding of molecular aspects associated with chronic diseases, such as cancer and the role of tumor microenvironment, has led to the identification of endogenous and exogenous stimuli that can be exploited to devise “stimuli-responsive” materials for site-specific drug delivery applications. This book provides a comprehensive account on the design, materials chemistry, and application aspects behind these novel stimuli-responsive materials. Setting the scene, the editors open with a chapter addressing the need for smart materials in delivery applications for therapy, imaging and disease diagnosis. The following chapter describes the key physical and chemical aspects of smart materials, from lipids to polymers to hybrid materials, providing the reader with a springboard to delve into the more application oriented chapters that follow. With in-depth coverage of key drug delivery systems such as pH-responsive, temperature responsive, enzyme-responsive and light responsive systems, this book provides a rigorous foundation to the field. A perfect resource for graduate students and newcomers, the closing chapter on regulatory and commercialization challenges also makes the book ideal for those wanting to take the next step towards clinical translation.

Smart materials, which can change properties when an external stimulus is applied, can be used for the targeted drug delivery of an active molecule to a specific site in the correct dosage. Different materials such as liposomes, polymeric systems, nanomaterials and hydrogels can respond to different stimuli such as pH, temperature and light and these are all attractive for controlled release applications. With so many papers available on smart and stimuli-responsive materials for drug delivery applications it's hard to know where to start reading about this exciting topic. This two volume set brings together the recent findings in the area and provides a critical analysis of the different materials available and how they can be applied to advanced drug delivery systems. With contributions from leading experts in the field, including a foreword from distinguished scientist Nicholas Peppas, The University of Texas at Austin, USA, the book will provide both an introduction to the key areas for graduate students and new researchers in the stimuli-responsive field as well as serving as a reference for those already working on fundamental materials research or drug delivery applications.

This book provides comprehensive coverage of smart biomaterials and their potential applications, a field that is developing at a very rapid pace. Because smart biomaterials are an emerging class of biomaterials that respond to small changes in external stimuli with large discontinuous changes in their physical properties, they have been designed to act as an “on–off” switch for, among others, bio separation, immunoanalysis, drug delivery technologies, gene therapy, diagnostics, bio sensors and artificial muscles. After an introduction to the topic and the history of smart biomaterials, the author gives the reader an in-depth look at the properties, mechanics, and characterization of smart biomaterials including hydrogels, particles, assemblies, surfaces, fibers and conjugates. Information on the wide range of applications for these materials follows, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, diagnostics, biosensors, bio separation and actuators. In addition, recent advances in shape memory biomaterials as active components of medical devices are also presented.

Smart materials, which can change properties when an external stimulus is applied, can be used for the targeted drug delivery of an active molecule to a specific site in the correct dosage. Different materials such as liposomes, polymeric systems, nanomaterials and hydrogels can respond to different stimuli such as pH, temperature and light and these are all attractive for controlled release applications. With so many papers available on smart and stimuli-responsive materials for drug delivery applications it's hard to know where to start reading about this exciting topic. This two volume set brings together the recent findings in the area and provides a critical analysis of the different materials available and how they can be applied to advanced drug delivery systems. With contributions from leading experts in the field, including a foreword from distinguished scientist Nicholas Peppas, The University of Texas at Austin, USA, the book will provide both an introduction to the key areas for graduate students and new researchers in the stimuli-responsive field as well as serving as a reference for those already working on fundamental materials research or drug delivery applications.

Stimuli responsive drug delivery systems have emerged as one of the most innovative classes of polymer materials of modern materials science. The book offers a convincing approach to understanding the basic principles of drug delivery process, their mathematical modeling, different types of drug delivery systems, various polymer systems responsive to stimuli such as swelling, pH, temperature, light, chemical agents, electric and magnetic fields.

This book explores in depth a wide range of functional biomaterials-based systems for drug, gene delivery, and biomedical aspects. The chapters cover newer technologies such as polymeric micelle, pH-responsive biomaterials, stimuli-responsive hydrogels, silk fibroin, inorganic biomaterials, synthetic biomaterials, 3D printed biomaterials, metallic biomaterials, ceramic and hybrid biomaterials. It also describes the theranostic approaches for cancer therapy, the biomaterials-based nanofibers scaffolds in tissue engineering, as well as the strategies applications of metallic biomaterials for the medical and dental prosthetic field. This newer and updated approach will be attractive for biomedical engineering students working on materials science in the development of novel drug delivery strategies. The book will be an important reference for researchers and professionals working on biomaterial research in the pharmaceutical and medical fields.

Stimuli responsive drug delivery systems have emerged as one of the most innovative classes of polymer materials of modern materials science. The polymer architectures exhibiting a large change in their physico chemical behaviors in response to minor signals from the environments have fabricated potentially useful materials for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. The most advanced stimuli responsive drug delivery systems have also explored a new strategy to design targeted delivery systems to treat complex diseases like cancers and related tumors. Stimuli Responsive Drug Delivery Systems offers a convincing approach to understanding the basic principles of drug delivery process, their mathematical modeling, different types of drug delivery systems, various polymer systems responsive to stimuli such as swelling, pH, temperature, electric and magnetic fields, chemical agents, and more - The material covered in this book provides a wide spectrum of information - academic, research, and professional - for the biomedical, pharmaceutical and polymer chemistry communities. The book also presents the commercial scenario of drug delivery systems and highlights upcoming challenges and existing future prospects of this field. An exhaustive bibliography of the book also enables students and researchers of various disciplines to acquire additional information they may require.