Biopolymer-Enabled Pharmacology: Enhancing Drug-Target Interactions, Bioavailability, Biocompatibility, and Therapeutic Efficacy Through Natural and Modified Polymer-Based Drug Delivery Systems

Achieving precise drug-target engagement remains one of the central challenges in experimental pharmacology and drug discovery. Poor bioavailability, rapid systemic clearance, off-target interactions, and subtherapeutic drug concentrations at the site of action continue to limit the efficacy of otherwise promising compounds — from small molecules to biopharmaceuticals.Natural and chemically modified polymers have emerged as powerful tools to address these challenges, not simply as passive carriers, but as active modulators of pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic behavior. By controlling drug release kinetics, protecting labile compounds from degradation, and directing active agents toward specific tissues, cell types, or molecular targets, polymer-based systems can fundamentally alter how a drug interacts with its biological target — affecting receptor occupancy, enzyme inhibition kinetics, transporter engagement, and downstream signaling.This Research Topic focuses on the pharmacological consequences of polymer-mediated drug delivery. We invite research that uses natural and modified polymer systems as pharmaceutical excipients to interrogate and optimize drug-target interactions, elucidate mechanisms of action, and improve the therapeutic activity of investigatory compounds. The central question is not how a polymer is made, but what it enables pharmacologically.Topics within scope include, but are not limited to:Polymer-mediated modulation of drug-receptor binding, selectivity, and functional activityPharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic optimization of biologically active molecules and biopharmaceuticals using biopolymer-based systemsDrug-biomolecule interactions in the context of controlled or targeted releasePolymer systems that enhance target delivery of biologically active molecules or enable high-throughput pharmacological screeningIn vitro and in vivo mechanistic studies linking polymer-based delivery to therapeutic outcomesComparative pharmacological activity of free versus biopolymer-formulated drug formulationsToxicological profiling of biopolymer-drug systems with respect to specific biological targetsCrosslinked and tailored biopolymer-based drug delivery systems for enhancement of bioavailability of poorly bioavailable drugs through in vitro and in vivo screeningResponse surface-based optimization of biopolymer-based drug delivery systems for targeted or controlled drug releaseStudies should present clear pharmacological endpoints — such as binding affinity, functional potency, selectivity, PK/PD relationships, or mechanism of action data — rather than focusing solely on polymer synthesis or physicochemical characterization of tailored or natural polymers. Pure materials science studies, clinical trials, and research based solely on in silico methods are outside the scope of this collection.By centering on pharmacological impacts such as enhanced bioavailability and biocompatibility alongside the delivery platform, this Research Topic aims to advance the use of natural and modified polymers as precision tools in drug discovery, drug delivery, and experimental pharmacology. Topic editors: Dr. Mayank Kumar Malik, Vipin Kumar, Neeraj Kumar Fuloria, Dr. Naresh Kumar Rangra Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78007/biopolymer-enabled-pharmacology-enhancing-drug-target-interactions-bioavailability-biocompatibility-and-therapeutic-efficacy-through-natural-and-modified-polymer-based-drug-delivery-systems