Department of Chemistry - PhD Student Seminar - Electrospun Nanofibers as Advanced Platforms for Drug Delivery

Student: Mr. Chong LI

Department: Department of Chemistry, HKUST

Supervisor: Prof. Jianwei SUN

Co-supervisor: Prof. Benzhong TANG, 

Abstract

Traditional drug delivery systems often face challenges such as poor bioavailability, rapid clearance, uncontrolled initial burst release, and severe systemic toxicity. To address these limitations, electrospinning has emerged as a highly versatile and cost-effective technology for fabricating nanofibrous drug delivery systems. This seminar will explore the fundamental principles of electrospinning and the unique advantages of the resulting nanofibers, including their high specific surface area, high porosity, exceptional drug loading capacity, and structural similarity to the native extracellular matrix.

The presentation will review various drug loading strategies, ranging from blend and emulsion electrospinning to coaxial and triaxial configurations. By selecting appropriate polymers and fiber architectures, these systems can achieve customized release profiles. Furthermore, the seminar will highlight the broad biomedical applications of electrospun nanofibers. Finally, the current challenges hindering clinical translation will be critically discussed alongside future perspectives for smart release systems.