Porous Aluminum Oxide for Medical Applications Including Targeted Drug Delivery

Abstract

A comprehensive review of the current level of research in the development of intelligent hybrid nanosystems based on porous inorganic materials, in particular porous alumina, has been carried out. Porous materials are of great interest for the development of controlled drug delivery platforms due to their high effective surface area and controlled pore size. One of the main determinants of the overall pore drug loading and release profile is pore geometry. Three-dimensional pore structures with complex pore geometries and increasing surface area are promising platform designs for sustained drug release. But there are certain structural and financial difficulties in their manufacture. Porous anodic alumina, which is easily and economically produced by electrochemical anodization, allows complex and reproducible three-dimensional pore geometries to be obtained. The unique physical and chemical properties of porous anodic alumina make this material a promising platform for controlled drug release. Porous anodic alumina has a highly ordered pore distribution, and its well-known electrochemical fabrication methods allow precise control of pore spacing, diameter, length, and pore geometry. The purpose of this work is to analyze the current level of research in the development of intelligent hybrid nanosystems based on porous alumina with different characteristics for use in medicine. The presented works have shown interesting opportunities for the development of intelligent, multifunctional optical devices with a microchip design. The design of implantable biosensors with the ability to monitor biological systems in vivo and in real time is promising for the use of porous anodic alumina immunosensors.