Gated drug delivery systems are an emerging concept that have drawn a lot of attention for their wide variety of potential applications in the medical field. The abnormal physiological conditions found within the tumor environment provide a breadth of options that could be used for externally stimulating these systems to release cargo. Gated systems in cancer therapy also have the added effect of reducing off target effects and decreasing leakage and delivery of drug to normal tissues. Another use for this technology could also be antibacterial regulation. These systems could be used to limit bacterial resistance as well as accumulation of antibiotics within the body. Antibacterial regulation potentially opens the door to using gated systems in theranostics, in which the system is able to detect an issue and then provide a therapeutic response.
There is also the potential for inhalable pulmonary drug delivery. With an increase in respiratory disease cases, the need for a drug delivery system that can be targeted to the lungs and provide sustained release is becoming more severe. This type of system would be applicable to patients experiencing asthma, pneumonia, obstructive pulmonary disease, and a number of other lung related diseases.