Vol. 3, Issue 8 (2014)

Author(s):
Arya Soman, Flowerlet Mathew, A.J.Chacko, Mini Alias, G.Vinoda Poosan

Abstract:
Interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) is regarded as one of the most useful novel biomaterial. The invention of IPN can be rendered biocompatible and biodegradable has far reaching and profound long‐term implications for the pharmaceutical industry and indeed medicine as a whole. The excellent biocompatibility and safety due to its physical characteristics such as impart stability of the drug in the formulations, improves solubility of hydrophobic drugs, excellent swelling capacity and its biological characteristics, like biodegradability, impart bioavailability, drug targeting in a specific tissue and very weak antigenicity, made IPN the primary resource in both pharmaceutical and medical applications. The potential applications of IPN as drug delivery systems specially for the controlled release drug delivery systems. It was also used for tissue engineering including bone substitutes, stationary phase and cartilage scaffolds. This article reviews focused on the entire features of IPN in both as a drug delivery matrix system and a system for tissue engineering as well as its potential therapeutic applications. Finally it can be concluded that IPN offers novel way to address hydrophobic and low bioavailable drugs and are being applied in a wide range of healthcare settings.