Patent 7563451 was granted and assigned to Iowa State University on July, 2009 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
The invention provides an article comprising, a mesoporous silicate matrix, such as a particle, having one or more pores; and one or more releasable caps obstructing one or more of the pores. The articles are useful as delivery vehicles for encapsulated agents such as therapeutic agents, polynucleotides, polypeptides and the like.