The use of hollow glass microsphere has been now included in biomedical and a very promising example for the same is its use for targeted drug delivery. Traditionally, such delivery was performed by controlling the dosage, but it had numerous drawbacks, one of which was that it made it cumbersome to locate and then hold the delivery system in the gastrointestinal tract as a result of variations caused by gastric releases. These variations then caused issues in terms of drug release and decreased its quantity which resulted in short residence of the medicine in the tract and was not as effective for the patient.
How Hollow Glass Microspheres Changed the Game?
To increase the retention capacity in the gastrointestinal tract, these microspheres have been incorporated and even tested on certain patients who were kept under observation in clinical settings. Hollow glass microspheres in terms of biomedical are made from ceramics and bioactive glasses which are aimed to have a hollow cavity that has a diameter between 10 and 100 microns for incorporating numerous substances. The most common method of administering medicine for the purpose of circulation in the system is through the mouth (oral route) but this sometimes results in decreased absorption of the drug in the tract which then defeats the purpose and the impact of the dose on the patient and then other alternatives have to be used which also results in wastage.
The cavity of the microsphere allows it to carry within itself numerous drugs which are sensitive in nature and guards them against other secretions in the body that might disrupt its utility and reduce its availability before reaching the desired location. Further, these hollow glass microspheres can are durable and stay in the gastric region longer than any other compound thus increasing the residence time of the medicines in the tract.