A Descriptive Review on the Potential Use of Diatom Biosilica as a Powerful Functional Biomaterial: A Natural Drug Delivery System
Sunggu Kang,
Yeeun Woo,
Yoseph Seo,
Daehyeon Yoo,
Daeryul Kwon,
Hyunjun Park,
Sang Deuk Lee,
Hah Young Yoo,
Taek Lee
Affiliations
Sunggu Kang
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Yeeun Woo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Yoseph Seo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Daehyeon Yoo
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Daeryul Kwon
Protist Research Division, Biological Resources Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBR), 137, Donam 2-gil, Sangju-si 37242, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Hyunjun Park
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Sang Deuk Lee
Protist Research Division, Biological Resources Research Department, Nakdonggang National Institute of Biological Resources (NNIBR), 137, Donam 2-gil, Sangju-si 37242, Gyeongsangbuk-do, Republic of Korea
Hah Young Yoo
Department of Biotechnology, Sangmyung University, 20, Hongjimun 2-gil, Jongno-gu, Seoul 03016, Republic of Korea
Taek Lee
Department of Chemical Engineering, Kwangwoon University, 20 Kwangwoon-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01897, Republic of Korea
Although various chemically synthesized materials are essential in medicine, food, and agriculture, they can exert unexpected side effects on the environment and human health by releasing certain toxic chemicals. Therefore, eco-friendly and biocompatible biomaterials based on natural resources are being actively explored. Recently, biosilica derived from diatoms has attracted attention in various biomedical fields, including drug delivery systems (DDS), due to its uniform porous nano-pattern, hierarchical structure, and abundant silanol functional groups. Importantly, the structural characteristics of diatom biosilica improve the solubility of poorly soluble substances and enable sustained release of loaded drugs. Additionally, diatom biosilica predominantly comprises SiO2, has high biocompatibility, and can easily hybridize with other DDS platforms, including hydrogels and cationic DDS, owing to its strong negative charge and abundant silanol groups. This review explores the potential applications of various diatom biosilica-based DDS in various biomedical fields, with a particular focus on hybrid DDS utilizing them.
