Introduction: Electrospinning is a facile method for fabricating fibers with diameters in the order of several nanometers to a few micrometers. This technology has great potential for preparing drug delivery systems (DDSs) and has received a great deal of attention in recent years. When combined with certain nanocarriers, such as micelles, nanoparticles or vesicles, an electrospun fiber membrane becomes an efficient and helpful platform for the above-mentioned formulations to achieve sustained and targeted drug release.
Areas covered: The developmental process of electrospinning technology is briefly summarized and the drugs and the materials electrospun into drug delivery systems are listed . The application of electrospinning technology in the biomedical field and its current progress are emphasized.
Expert opinion: A safe, efficient and multifunctional electrospinning drug delivery system is urgently needed, which requires further studies. Cross-disciplinary strategies that cover pharmaceutical science, material science and computer science may provide guidance in bringing electrospinning technology in drug delivery to fruition.
Keywords: drug delivery system; electrospinning; multilevel structure; nanofiber.