Focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy provides novel insights of drug delivery phenomena

Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved..

Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) has long been a standard tool for morphological analyses, providing sub micrometer resolution of pharmaceutical formulations. However, analysis of internal morphologies of such formulations can often be biased due to the introduction of artifacts that originate from sample preparation. A recent advancement in SEM, is the focused ion beam scanning electron microscopy (FIB-SEM). This technique uses a focused ion beam (FIB) to remove material with nanometer precision, to provide virtually sample-independent access to sub-surface structures. The FIB can be combined with SEM imaging capabilities within the same instrumentation. As a powerful analytical tool, electron microscopy and FIB-milling are performed sequentially to produce high-resolution 3D models of structural peculiarities of diverse drug delivery systems or their behavior in a biological environment, i.e. intracellular or -tissue distribution. This review paper briefly describes the technical background of the method, outlines a wide array of potential uses within the drug delivery field, and focuses on intracellular transport where high-resolution images are an essential tool for mechanistical insights.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2024

Erschienen:

2024

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:366

Enthalten in:

Journal of controlled release : official journal of the Controlled Release Society - 366(2024) vom: 15. Feb., Seite 312-327

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Faber, Thilo [VerfasserIn]
McConville, Jason T [VerfasserIn]
Lamprecht, Alf [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Imaging
Intracellular delivery
Journal Article
Review
Scanning electron microscopy

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 04.03.2024

Date Revised 04.03.2024

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.12.048

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM366516701