The solid dispersion has become an established solubilization technology for poorly water soluble drugs. Since a solid dispersion is basically a drug-polymer two-component system, the drug-polymer interaction is the determining factor in its design and performance. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of solid dispersions both in the solid state and in dissolution, emphasizing the fundamental aspects of this important technology.

We have presented a self-cross-link strategy to fabricate HSA nanoparticles using a desolvation method. The nanoparticles were stabilized by intermolecular disulfide bonds while still dissolvable in reducing media. The fabrication process does not involve any toxic chemicals and hence the nanoparticles may be useful as a drug carrier.

An ATRA based strategy to synthesize vinyl copolymers with monomer-level sequence control is proposed. In each cycle, one allyl alcohol is added to the ATRP chain end, and then the hydroxymethyl residue is oxidized to carboxylic acid and a side group is introduced via esterification, making the new chain end active for the next cycle.

Albumin hydrogels crosslinked by disulfide bonds between the protein's own thiol groups.

Zwitterionic polymers have shown ultra-low biofouling properties at surfaces and excellent biocompatibility as implant. In this study, an in situ-forming zwitterionic hydrogel was designed and evaluated, both in vitro and in vivo, as a long-term vitreous substitute. The zwitterionic polymer poly(MPDSA-co-AC) was designed as a copolymer of the sulfobetaine methacrylamide and acryloyl cystamine monomers, providing the zwitterionic components and the thiol functional groups, respectively. The in situ gelation was via the thiol–ene Michael addition reaction with α-PEG-MA as the crosslinker. The gelation time, rheological properties, swelling profiles, and the transparency of zwitterionic hydrogels were studied in detail. Two systems with different crosslinker concentrations were tested in a rabbit model, and the one with the thiol–ene ratio of 2 : 1 showed excellent biocompatibility in vivo, formed space-filling hydrogels and remained transparent in the vitreous cavity for the 2 month implantation period. Therefore, in situ-forming zwitterionic hydrogels represent a promising material system as a vitreous substitute and possibly for other soft tissue replacements.