Nanotechnology and Drug Delivery

Abstract

Nowadays nanotechnology represents an expanding field that is providing powerfultools for the pharmaceutical industry such as polymeric, solid lipid, metallic, and magnetic NPs, liposomes, dendrimers, and other nanostructures. The development of nanopharmaceutics allows the understanding of some of the major mechanisms of current diseases on a molecular basis. Particularly, drug delivery mediated by nanosystems is relevant since NPs are able to reach the target organ and deliver the drug with a desirable profile according to the pathology needs, minimizing undesirable side effects. The main physicochemical properties of nanosystems are related with the increase in the surface-to-volume ratio of the particles, their permeability across biological barriers, and the surface modification of nanodevices. These parameters are relevant in drug loading and release and particularly for the targeted delivery to cells showing specific markers or receptors in the membrane surface.