Delivery of Therapeutics: Current Status and Its Relevance to Regenerative Innovations

Delivery of therapeutics is a burgeoning field of biotechnological research. Its promise hitherto has been demonstrated in a variety of medical applications, ranging from DNA vaccination to disease treatment. In this article, we will first review the current literature and patents on technologies for delivery of therapeutics. After that, we will highlight the relevance of the technologies to regenerative innovations as a new avenue for future research. In fact, so far most of the research activities on therapeutics delivery have only focused on vector development and disease treatment. The relevance of the delivery technologies to regenerative innovations, which have been opening up new opportunities for revolutionary therapeutic modalities since the turn of the century, has still seldom been mentioned. It is hoped that through this article, the prospects of the technologies to regenerative medicine could be illuminated.