Textiles, drugs and longevity

Textile materials can be used to enhance the effectiveness of drugs by providing a mechanism for controlled release over a sustained period and by delivering high concentrations of drugs with targeted tissues without serious side effects. Polylactic acid is a natural compound which can be normalized and used to produce textile fibers and can also be used to form microspheres which can entrap a drug and slowly release it over time. The co-polymer of lactic acid and glycolic acid (PLGA) and drug microspheres are generally administered to patients by intramuscular injection and the drug is then slowly released over a period of days to months. Moreover, the drug release kinetics can produce sustained periods of drug concentrations within therapeutic range and can also be manipulated by external interventions, such as electrical current, ultrasound, and microneedles. PLGA microspheres, the most commonly used polymer matrix for controlled drug delivery, has the potential to be used as a moldable material for tissue engineering of cartilage and artificial livers. Nanotechnology has also enabled the downsizing of microspheres to nanospheres, which are small enough to be directly injected into the blood stream, where they circulate and release drug over a period of time.