CERAMIC DRUG-DELIVERY DEVICES

A variety of ceramics and delivery systems have been used to deliver c hemicals, biologicals, and drugs at various rates for desired periods of time from different sites of implantation. In vitro and in vivo stu dies have shown that ceramics can successfully be used as drug-deliver y devices. Matrices, inserts, reservoirs, cements, and particles have been used to deliver a large variety of therapeutic agents such as ant ibiotics, anticancer drugs; anticoagulants, analgesics, growth factors , hormones, steroids, and vaccines. In this article, the advantages an d disadvantages of conventional drug-delivery systems and the differen t approaches used to deliver chemical and biological agents by means o f ceramic systems will be reviewed.