Nanoparticle Based Drug Delivery System: Advantages and Applications

There has been a considerable research interest in the area of drug delivery systems using nanoparticles. Nanostructured biomaterials have unique physicochemical properties such as ultra small and controllable size, large surface area to mass ratio, high reactivity and functionalizable structure. It alter and improve the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of various types of drug molecules that are capable of targeted delivery of both imaging agents and anticancer drugs and early detection of cancer lesions, determination of molecular signatures of the tumor by noninvasive imaging and, most importantly, molecular targeted cancer therapy. These properties can be applied on drug to overcoming some of the limitations in traditional therapeutics. They have been used in vivo to protect the drug entity in the systemic circulation, restrict access of the drug to the chosen sites and to deliver the drug at a controlled and sustained rate to the site of action, minimizes undesirable side effects of the drugs and allow for more efficient use of the drug. It should be present at appropriate concentrations at the target site, and it should not lose its activity or therapeutic efficacy while in circulation. Here, we review various aspects of nanoparticle formulation, characterization, effect of their characteristics and their applications in delivery of drug molecules, improving the targated delivery of therapeutic agents, the potential of nanomedicine, development of novel and more effective diagnostic and screening techniques to extend the limits of molecular diagnostics and challenges in synthesizing nanoparticle platforms for delivering various drugs.