Collagen as a carrier for on-site delivery of antibacterial drugs

Due to its biocompatibility and well-established safety profile, collagen represents a favourable matrix for on-site drug delivery. In this review, we summarize some of the recent developments and applications of collagen as a biomaterial in drug delivery systems for antibiotics, especially gentamicin. The main clinical and experimental applications covered include: treatment and prophylaxis of bone and soft tissue infections, wound healing, as well as ophthalmic and periodontal treatment. Advantages of local drug application and the rationale of use local drug delivery systems for adjuvant (ancillary) therapy are discussed. Recent efforts in the use of collagen and collagen-synthetic polymer composites for controlled drug delivery as well as collagen-based diffusion membranes for prolonged drug release have also been included in this review.