Controlled Drug Release Applications Research Articles

Fabrication of biocompatible water-soluble supramolecular nanofibers of oseltamivir with methyl-β-cyclodextrin for enhanced drug release

In recent times, there has been a growing interest in the advancement of nanofiber technology using materials based on cyclodextrin (CD). This heightened interest is primarily driven by their potential applications in controlled drug release. This research aims to create the nanofibers (NF) which involves incorporating an antiviral agent, oseltamivir (OTV) into the CD cavity, forming inclusion complexes (IC) that greatly improve drug encapsulation efficiency. To assess the physicochemical properties and drug-loading capabilities of these CD-based NF, a variety of characterization techniques can be utilized. It is noteworthy that NF containing OTV:MCD-IC/PVA demonstrates a continuous release of OTV (89.25%) at acidic conditions (pH 5.8) when compared to NF holding no MCD materials. Moreover, dissolution studies reveal that the resulting material is non-toxic and readily soluble in water (less than 2 min). MTT assay indicated that the examined NF are completely safe and do not have/make any adverse effects on the cells (cell viability is more than 98%). The fibroblast cells grown on nanomatrixes composed of both OTV/PVA and OTV:MCD IC/PVA NF did not display any indications of apoptosis or nuclear shrinkage. The development of such systems holds significant promise for advancing therapeutic strategies in the management of viral infections.

Exploring the Effectiveness of Carboxymethylated and Crosslinked Albizia procera Gum in Diltiazem Hydrochloride Matrix Tablets: A Comparative Analysis.

This study investigates the efficacy of modified Albizia procera gum as a release-retardant polymer in Diltiazem hydrochloride (DIL) matrix tablets. Carboxymethylated Albizia procera gum (CAP) and ionically crosslinked carboxymethylated Albizia procera gum (Ca-CAP) were utilized, with Ca-CAP synthesized via crosslinking CAP with calcium ions (Ca2+) using calcium chloride (CaCl2). Fourier Transform (FT) IR analysis affirmed polymer compatibility, while differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) assessed thermal behavior and crystallinity, respectively. Zeta potential analysis explored surface charge and electrostatic interactions, while rheology examined flow and viscoelastic properties. Swelling and erosion kinetics provided insights into water penetration and stability. CAP's carboxymethyl groups (-CH2-COO-) heightened divalent cation reactivity, and crosslinking with CaCl2 produced Ca-CAP through -CH2-COO- and Ca2+ interactions. Structural similarities between the polymers were revealed by FTIR, with slight differences. DSC indicated modified thermal behavior in Ca-CAP, while Zeta potential analysis showcased negative charges, with Ca-CAP exhibiting lower negativity. XRD highlighted increased crystallinity in Ca-CAP due to calcium crosslinking. Minimal impact on RBC properties was observed with both polymers compared to the positive control as water for injection (WFI). Ca-CAP exhibited improved viscosity, strength, controlled swelling, and erosion, allowing prolonged drug release compared to CAP. Stability studies confirmed consistent six-month drug release, emphasizing Ca-CAP's potential as a stable, sustained drug delivery system over CAP. Robustness and accelerated stability tests supported these findings, underscoring the promise of Ca-CAP in controlled drug release applications.

Fabrication of PEG-PLGA Microparticles with Tunable Sizes for Controlled Drug Release Application.

Polymeric microparticles of polyethyleneglycol-polylactic acid-co-glycolic acid (PEG-PLGA) are widely used as drug carriers for a variety of applications due to their unique characteristics. Although existing techniques for producing polymeric drug carriers offer the possibility of achieving greater production yield across a wide range of sizes, these methods are improbable to precisely tune particle size while upholding uniformity of particle size and morphology, ensuring consistent production yield, maintaining batch-to-batch reproducibility, and improving drug loading capacity. Herein, we developed a novel scalable method for the synthesis of tunable-sized microparticles with improved monodispersity and batch-to-batch reproducibility via the coaxial flow-phase separation technique. The study evaluated the effect of various process parameters on microparticle size and polydispersity, including polymer concentration, stirring rate, surfactant concentration, and the organic/aqueous phase flow rate and volume ratio. The results demonstrated that stirring rate and polymer concentration had the most significant impact on the mean particle size and distribution, whereas surfactant concentration had the most substantial impact on the morphology of particles. In addition to synthesizing microparticles of spherical morphology yielding particle sizes in the range of 5-50 µm across different formulations, we were able to also synthesize several microparticles exhibiting different morphologies and particle concentrations as a demonstration of the tunability and scalability of this method. Notably, by adjusting key determining process parameters, it was possible to achieve microparticle sizes in a comparable range (5-7 µm) for different formulations despite varying the concentration of polymer and volume of polymer solution in the organic phase by an order of magnitude. Finally, by the incorporation of fluorescent dyes as model hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, we further demonstrated how polymer amount influences drug loading capacity, encapsulation efficiency, and release kinetics of these microparticles of comparable sizes. Our study provides a framework for fabricating both hydrophobic and hydrophilic drug-loaded microparticles and elucidates the interplay between fabrication parameters and the physicochemical properties of microparticles, thereby offering an itinerary for expanding the applicability of this method for producing polymeric microparticles with desirable characteristics for specific drug delivery applications.

Synthesis of pH/ temperature sensitive gelatin/peptide composite hydrogels and its characterization for potential controlled drug release applications

Conventional self-assembled peptide hydrogels have poor mechanical properties and tend to release abruptly when they are used as drug carriers, limiting the application of these materials in biomedical field. In this work, gelatin was embedded in a pH-responsive peptide Ac-FALNLAKD-NH2 (PEP) to construct gelatin/peptide composite hydrogels (Gel/PEP) for controlling the delivery of the anticancer drug chelerythrine (CHE). The physicochemical properties of Gel/PEP composite hydrogels were evaluated. The results of circular dichroism and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy characterization showed that compared with PEP hydrogels and gelatin, the Gel/PEP composite hydrogel has a superposition of two secondary structures, in which β-sheet and random coil accounted for 44.7 % and 55.3 % of the conformation, respectively. Rheology and scanning electron microscope characterization confirmed that the Gel/PEP hydrogel has a highly dense nanofibrous meshwork structure, which enhances mechanical and injectable properties. In addition, the encapsulation rate of CHE could reach more than 97 % at a gelatin/peptide mass ratio of 7:1. More importantly, in vitro results showed that the composite hydrogel still had good pH and thermal response performance, which can achieve controlled release of CHE. Therefore, it is possible to synthesize supramolecular drug release soft materials by composite of gelatin and peptide hydrogels.

Cyclo-matrix Poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-kaempferol) Microspheres: Synthesis, Characterization, EPR Study and Their Controlled Drug Release Application

Cyclo-matrix Poly(cyclotriphosphazene-co-kaempferol) Microspheres: Synthesis, Characterization, EPR Study and Their Controlled Drug Release Application

Novel Studies in the Designs of Natural, Synthetic, and Compound Hydrogels with Biomedical Applications

Hydrogels are gaining widespread popularity in the biomedical field due to their extraordinary properties, such as biocompatibility, biodegradability, zero toxicity, easy processing, and similarity to physiological tissue. They have applications in controlled drug release, wound dressing, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine. Among these applications, hydrogels as a controlled drug delivery system stands out, which releases active substances in precise amounts and at specific times. To explore the latest advances in the design of hydrogels, a literature review of articles published in indexed scientific journals, in Scopus and Science Direct, was carried out. This review aimed to discover and describe the most innovative hydrogel research with applications in the biomedical field; hydrogels synthesized with polymers of different origins were selected, such as; i. Natural (dextran, agarose, chitosan, etc.); ii. Synthetic (polyacrylamide, polyethylene glycol, polyvinyl alcohol, etc.); iii. Composites (interpenetrants, hybrid crosslinkers, nanocomposites, etc.). Comparative analysis revealed that hydrogels with composite materials show the most promise. These composite hydrogels combine the advantages of different polymers or incorporate additional components, offering enhanced properties and functionalities. In summary, hydrogels are versatile biomaterials with immense potential in biomedicine. Their unique properties make them suitable for diverse applications. However, innovative designs and formulations must continue to be explored to further advance the capabilities of hydrogels and expand their biomedical applications.

Fabrication of pH-Responsive Chitosan/Polyvinylpyrrolidone Hydrogels for Controlled Release of Metronidazole and Antibacterial Properties

This research focused on preparing hydrogels with controlled drug release properties to control gastrointestinal tract bacterial infection. Chitosan (CS) and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) were used as the base polymers, with the CS component crosslinked by glutaraldehyde for hydrogel preparation using the solution casting technique. The effect of varying glutaraldehyde content in the hydrogels was characterized by the extent of swelling in simulated physiological fluids of pH 1.2, 6.8, and 7.4; the development of porosity; and gel fraction. Functional groups and covalent and hydrogen bonds formed, thermal stability, phase structure, and morphology were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the components in the hydrogels have good compatibility and formed honeycomb-like structures. In vitro studies confirmed that the hydrogels have good biodegradability at pH 7.4. Based on these properties, a CS/PVP hydrogel of the ratio of 60 : 40 crosslinked with 600 μL glutaraldehyde was selected for the in-situ loading of 200 mg of the drug metronidazole (MTZ). The hydrogel was characterized for cumulative drug release in the simulated physiological fluids and drug release kinetics using different models and for its antibacterial activity. The best-fit Korsmeyer–Peppas model suggests that MTZ release followed diffusion and swelling-controlled time-dependent non-Fickian transport related to hydrogel erosion. This hydrogel displays enhanced antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli showed substantial inhibition zones indicating the produced CS/PVP hydrogels are promising candidates for controlled drug release applications.

PH-Sensitive Degradable Oxalic Acid Crosslinked Hyperbranched Polyglycerol Hydrogel for Controlled Drug Release

pH-sensitive degradable hydrogels are smart materials that can cleave covalent bonds upon pH variation, leading to their degradation. Their development led to many applications for drug delivery, where drugs can be released in a pH-dependent manner. Crosslinking hyperbranched polyglycerol (HPG), a biocompatible building block bearing high end-group functionality, using oxalic acid (OA), a diacid that can be synthesized from CO2 and form highly activated ester bonds, can generate this type of smart hydrogel. Aiming to understand the process of developing this novel material and its drug release for oral administration, its formation was studied by varying reactant stoichiometry, concentration and cure procedure and temperature; it was characterized regarding gel percent (%gel), swelling degree (%S), FTIR and thermal behavior; impregnated using ibuprofen, as a model drug, and a release study was carried out at pH 2 and 7. Hydrogel formation was evidenced by its insolubility, FTIR spectra and an increase in Td and Tg; a pre-cure step was shown to be crucial for its formation and an increase in the concentration of the reactants led to higher %gel and lower %S. The impregnation resulted in a matrix-encapsulated system; and the ibuprofen release was negligible at pH 2 but completed at pH 7 due to the hydrolysis of the matrix. A pH-sensitive degradable HPG-OA hydrogel was obtained and it can largely be beneficial in controlled drug release applications.

Self-cross-linked starch/chitosan hydrogel as a biocompatible vehicle for controlled release of drug

A facile one-pot approach was adopted to prepare a polysaccharide-based hydrogel of oxidized starch (OS)-chitosan. The synthetic monomer-free, eco-friendly hydrogel was prepared in an aqueous solution and employed for controlled drug release application. The starch was first oxidized under mild conditions to prepare its bialdehydic derivative. Subsequently, the amino group-containing a modified polysaccharide, “chitosan” was introduced on the backbone of OS via a dynamic Schiff-base reaction. The bio-based hydrogel was obtained via a one-pot in-situ reaction, where functionalized starch acts as a macro-cross-linker that contributes structural stability and integrity to the hydrogel. The introduction of chitosan contributes to stimuli-responsive properties and thus pH-sensitive swelling behavior was obtained. The hydrogel showed its potential as a pH-dependent controlled drug release system and a maximum of 29 h sustained release period was observed for ampicillin sodium salt drug. In vitro studies confirmed that the prepared drug-loaded hydrogels showed excellent antibacterial ability. Most importantly, the hydrogel could find potential use in the biomedical field due to its facile reaction conditions, biocompatibility along with controlled releasing ability of the encapsulated drug.

Core-Shell Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) Base Electrospinning Microfibers for Drug Delivery.

In this study, electrospun membranes were developed for controlled drug release applications. Both uniaxial Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and coaxial fibers with a PVA core and a poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) and polycaprolactone (PCL) coating were produced with different coating structures. The best conditions for the manufacture of the fibers were also studied and their morphology was analyzed as a function of the electrospinning parameters. Special attention was paid to the fiber surface morphology of the coaxial fibers, obtaining both porous and non-porous coatings. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was used as the model protein for the drug release studies and, as expected, the uncoated fibers were determined to have the fastest release kinetics. Different release rates were obtained for the coated fibers, which makes this drug release system suitable for different applications according to the release time required.

Fabrication and Evaluation of Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube-Containing Bijels and Bijels-Derived Porous Nanocomposites

Structures having continuous porous networks are of great interest for applications in areas such as separation, energy storage, and tissue engineering. Bicontinuous interfacially jammed emulsion gels ("bijels") have been actively investigated as templates for fabricating useful structures for such applications. However, the fabrication of bijels-templated porous nanocomposites incorporated with reinforcing or functional nanoparticles (or nanofibers) to provide specific, targeted functions is still a challenge, stemming from the difficulties of fabricating functional nanoparticle-containing bijels. In this study, bijels-derived porous nanocomposites incorporated with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), which possessed interconnected channels inside the structures, were made via a facile phase inversion technique for bijels fabrication. For the composite manufacture, in the first step of bijels fabrication, MWCNT adsorption into the oil phase of bijels was observed. It was revealed that MWCNTs were physically absorbed into the oil-rich phase without disrupting the bicontinuous structure of bijels. The successful fabrication of non-crosslinked and crosslinked porous structures containing MWCNTs was evidenced through imaging by confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. For potential controlled release applications, an anticancer drug, doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX), was incorporated into bijels-derived structures and nanocomposites. The in vitro DOX release profiles from drug delivery systems based on bijels-derived MWCNT-containing nanocomposites suggested that the photothermal effect of MWCNTs initiated by near-infrared irradiation could modulate the drug release behavior. Overall, this study has developed a facile approach to fabricate bijels-templated bicontinuous porous structures incorporated with functional nanoparticles (or nanofibers) and opened an avenue for making MWCNT-containing porous nanocomposites for controlled drug release applications.

Enzymatic PCL-grafting to NH2-end grouped silica and development of microspheres for pH-stimulated release of a hydrophobic model drug

This study set out to evaluate novel PCL-based silica containing nanohybrids as the polymer matrix in a hydrophobic drug-loaded microsphere system. Nanohybrids were synthesized by PCL-grafting to NH2-end grouped silica by in situ enzymatic ring opening polymerization of ε-caprolactone. Molecular weight and monomer conversion, PCL grafting percentage, thermal properties and crystallinity of the nanohybrids were determined by 1H NMR, TGA, DSC and XRD. Synthesized nanohybrids had low crystallinity percentage (32 and 39 %) and molecular weight (4800 and 8700 g/mol), promising for controlled drug release applications. The nanohybrids were used for fabrication of trans-chalcone-loaded microspheres by O/W single emulsion solvent evaporation. Mean particle diameter of the microspheres were between 15 and 30 µm. The result of release studies showed that optimum microsphere formulations (AP4 and A2, respectively) had 61 and 64 % encapsulation efficiency. One of the more significant findings to emerge from this investigation is that TC release was extended to 16 and 37 days, in a controlled manner. TC release was significantly enhanced in acidic pH media (pH 3.6 and 5.6) indicating pH-dependent release from nanohybrid microspheres; releasing 80–100 % of the loaded drug in 4–14 days. Drug/polymer interactions and molecular structures were investigated by FT-IR spectroscopy and DSC analysis. According to the results obtained, enzymatically synthesized nanohybrids have potential for pH-dependent release of the model drug, trans-chalcone.

Controllable Construction of Temperature-Sensitive Supramolecular Hydrogel Based on Cellulose and Cyclodextrin.

In temperature sensitive hydrogels, the swelling degree or light transmittance of the gel itself changes with variations in ambient temperature, prompting its wide application in controlled drug release, tissue engineering, and material separation. Considering the amphiphilic structure of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), a cellulose-based supramolecular hydrogel with superior temperature sensitivity was synthesized based on a combination of cellulose and β-CD as well as the host–guest interaction between β-CD and polypropylene glycol (PPG). In the one-pot tandem reaction process, chemical grafting of β-CD on cellulose and the inclusion complexation of β-CD with PPG were performed simultaneously in a NaOH/urea/water system. The obtained supramolecular hydrogel had a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of 34 °C. There existed covalent bonding between the cellulose and β-CD, host–guest complexation between the β-CD and PPG, and hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions between the components in the network structure of the supramolecular hydrogel. The combination of various covalent and non-covalent bonds endowed the resulting supramolecular hydrogel with good internal network structure stability and thermal stability, as well as sensitive temperature responsiveness within a certain range—implying its potential as a smart material in the fields of medicine, biology, and textiles. This work is expected to bring new strategies for the fabrication of cellulose-based thermosensitive materials, benefitting the high-value utilization of cellulose.

Injectable DNA Hydrogel-Based Local Drug Delivery and Immunotherapy.

Regulated drug delivery is an important direction in the field of medicine and healthcare research. In recent years, injectable hydrogels with good biocompatibility and biodegradability have attracted extensive attention due to their promising application in controlled drug release. Among them, DNA hydrogel has shown great potentials in local drug delivery and immunotherapy. DNA hydrogel is a three-dimensional network formed by cross-linking of hydrophilic DNA strands with extremely good biocompatibility. Benefiting from the special properties of DNA, including editable sequence and specificity of hybridization reactions, the mechanical properties and functions of DNA hydrogels can be precisely designed according to specific applications. In addition, other functional materials, including peptides, proteins and synthetic organic polymers can be easily integrated with DNA hydrogels, thereby enriching the functions of the hydrogels. In this review, we first summarize the types and synthesis methods of DNA hydrogels, and then review the recent research progress of injectable DNA hydrogels in local drug delivery, especially in immunotherapy. Finally, we discuss the challenges facing DNA hydrogels and future development directions.

Fabrication of Nanowalled Catalytically Self-Threaded Supramolecular Polyrotaxane Microcapsules Using Droplet Microfluidics

Micrometer-scale monodisperse droplets are produced to generate nanowalled supramolecular microcapsules using microfluidics for high reproducibility and high-throughput manipulation, efficient material consumption, and control over hierarchical structure, shape, and size. In this study, an optimized microfluidic droplet generation technique and a unique liquid–liquid interfacial polymerization method were applied to fabricate the monodisperse polyrotaxane–based supramolecular microcapsules in a fast and simple way. To minimize the uncertainty due to droplet volume variation, the inlet pressures were supplied from the same source while lowering the interfacial tension and the main channel hydrodynamic resistance, which are critical for high monodispersity. The target polyrotaxane network (PN) was simply formed at the interface of the water and oil phases in ultra-monodisperse microdroplets via the cucurbit[6]uril (CB6)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition (CB6-AAC) reaction between azido- and alkyne-functionalized tetraphenylporphyrin monomers (TPP-4AZ and TPP-4AL). The thickness of the interfacially assembled PN microcapsules was 20 nm as analyzed by cross-sectional TEM and TEM-EDX techniques. The resultant water-in-oil PN microcapsules were highly monodisperse in size and able to retain target molecules. Here, rhodamine 6G (Rh6G)-loaded PN microcapsules were fabricated, and the release rate of the Rh6G cargo was investigated over time for controlled drug release applications.

Aerosol‐assisted open‐air plasma deposition of acrylate‐based composite coatings: Molecule release control through precursor selection

AbstractAerosol‐assisted open‐air plasma allows the direct deposition of composite coatings with embedded bioactive agents. However, the deposition of biodegradable coatings for controlled drug release application remains challenging. In this study, an innovative precursor injection strategy is used to entrap tracers in coatings deposited from various acrylate‐based precursors: Acrylic acid (AA), methacrylic anhydride (MA), and 1,4‐butanediol diacrylate (BDDA). Water immersion tests show dramatically different release kinetics ranging from over minutes to weeks and months for AA, MA, and BDDA, respectively. These different behaviors are correlated to the crosslinking degree and the hydrolysis rates of the crosslinking functions. This original approach allows controlled release of tracers entrapped in biodegradable acrylate‐based coatings and provides new insights for drug‐release application.

Stimulus responsive soy-protein based hydrogels through grafting HEMA for biomedical applications

This work reports the synthesis of a biocompatible, pH sensitive 2-Hydroxy Ethyl Methacrylate-g-Soy protein Isolate (HEMA-g-SPI) hydrogel for controlled drug release applications. HEMA-g-SPI hydrogel was prepared by grafting HEMA onto SPI through in-situ free radical polymerization under an inert atmosphere and was optimized for reaction variables such as initiator concentration, reaction time, monomer concentration, SPI concentration to achieve high swelling capacity. The grafted hydrogel was analyzed through FTIR, TGA, SEM and a detailed mechanism for HEMA-g-SPI hydrogel formation is proposed. The equilibrium swelling, mechanism, and kinetics of model drug, paracetamol release has been studied at pH condition of gastric fluid and intestinal fluid i.e., 1.2 and 7.4 respectively at 37 °C. The hydrogel exhibits pH sensitivity with equilibrium swelling being quite slow at pH 1.2 as compared to at pH 7.4 with cumulative drug release (~30%) at pH 1.2, which is increased to ~70% at pH 7.4. The results revealed that HEMA-g-SPI hydrogel is non-cytotoxic and has potential for controlled drug release in gastrointestinal tract.

Antimicrobial nanofibrous mats with controllable drug release produced from hydrophobized hyaluronan

Due to their large active surface, high loading efficiency, and tunable dissolution profiles, nanofibrous mats are often cited as promising drug carriers or antimicrobial membranes. Hyaluronic acid has outstanding biocompatibility, but it is hydrophilic. Nanofibrous structures made from hyaluronan dissolve immediately, making them unsuitable for controlled drug release and longer applications. We aimed to prepare a hyaluronan-based antimicrobial nanofibrous material, which would retain its integrity in aqueous environments. Self-supporting nanofibrous mats containing octenidine dihydrochloride or triclosan were produced by electrospinning from hydrophobized hyaluronan modified with a symmetric lauric acid anhydride. The nanofibrous mats required no cross-linking to be stable in PBS for 7 days. The encapsulation efficiency of antiseptics was nearly 100%. Minimal release of octenidine was observed, while up to 30% of triclosan was gradually released in 72 h. The nanofibrous materials exhibited antimicrobial activity, the fibroblast viability was directly dependent on the antiseptic content and its release.

DNA-Scaffolded Disulfide Redox Network for Programming Drug-Delivery Kinetics.

In response to specific stimuli, dynamic covalent materials enable the generation of new structures by reversibly forming/breaking chemical bonds, thus showing great potential for application in controlled drug release. However, using dynamic covalent chemistry to program drug-delivery kinetics remains challenging. Herein, an in situ polymerization-generated DNA-scaffolded disulfide redox network (DdiSRN) is reported in which nucleic acids are used as a scaffold for dynamic disulfide bonds. The constructed DdiSRN allows selective release of loading cargos inside cancer cells in response to redox stimuli. Moreover, the density of disulfide bonds in network can be tuned by precise control over their position and number on DNA scaffolds. As a result, drug-delivery kinetics can be programmed with a half-life, t1/2 , decreasing from 8.3 to 4.4 h, thus facilitating keeping an adequate drug concentration within the therapeutic window. Both in vitro and in vivo studies confirm that co-delivery of DOX and siRNA in combination with fast drug release inside cells using this DdiSRN enhances the therapeutic effect on multidrug-resistant cancer. This nontrivial therapeutic platform enabling kinetic control provides a good paradigm for precision cancer medicine.

Convolutional neural networks for segmentation of FIB-SEM nanotomography data from porous polymer films for controlled drug release.

Phase-separated polymer films are commonly used as coatings around pharmaceutical oral dosage forms (tablets or pellets) to facilitate controlled drug release. A typical choice is to use ethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl cellulose (EC/HPC) polymer blends. When an EC/HPC film is in contact with water, the leaching out of the water-soluble HPC phase produces an EC film with a porous network through which the drug is transported. The drug release can be tailored by controlling the structure of this porous network. Imaging and characterization of such EC porous films facilitates understanding of how to control and tailor film formation and ultimately drug release. Combined focused ion beam and scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) tomography is a well-established technique for high-resolution imaging, and suitable for this application. However, for segmenting image data, in this case to correctly identify the porous network, FIB-SEM is a challenging technique to work with. In this work, we implement convolutional neural networks for segmentation of FIB-SEM image data. The data are acquired from three EC porous films where the HPC phases have been leached out. The three data sets have varying porosities in a range of interest for controlled drug release applications. We demonstrate very good agreement with manual segmentations. In particular, we demonstrate an improvement in comparison to previous work on the same data sets that utilized a random forest classifier trained on Gaussian scale-space features. Finally, we facilitate further development of FIB-SEM segmentation methods by making the data and software used openaccess.