Silver Nanoparticles – Universal Multifunctional Nanoparticles for Bio Sensing, Imaging for Diagnostics and Targeted Drug Delivery for Therapeutic Applications

Abstract

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary scientific field undergoing explosive development. Nanometer-sized particles offer novel structural, optical and electronic properties that are not attainable with individual molecules or bulk solids. Advances in nanomedicine can be made by engineering nanoparticles that are capable of targeted delivery of drugs. This leads toward the concept and possibility of personalized medicine for the potential of early detection of diseases and most importantly, molecular targeted therapy. Promoting nanotechnology for diagnosis, prevention and treatment is the focus of the recently developing multifunctional nanotechnology. Engineered nanoparticles have the potential to revolutionize the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases; for example, by allowing the targeted delivery of a drug to particular subsets of cells. However, so far, such nanoparticles have not proved capable of surmounting all of the biological barriers required to achieve this goal. Nevertheless, advances in nanoparticle engineering, as well as advances in understanding the importance of nanoparticle characteristics such as size, shape and surface properties for biological interactions, are creating new opportunities for the development of nanoparticles for therapeutic applications. Silver nanoparticles as an arch product from the field of nanotechnology, has gained interest because of distinctive properties, such as good conductivity, chemical stability, catalytic , antibacterial activity, antifungal, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory (Mukherjee et al., 2001; Sondi and Branka, 2004; Chen and Schluesener, 2008). Silver-based medical products, ranging from topical ointments and bandages for wound healing to coated stents, have been proven to be effective in retarding and preventing bacterial infections (Chen, 2007). Improvements in the development of novel silver nanoparticles-containing products are continuously sought. In particular, there is an increasing interest towards the exploitation of silver nanoparticles technology in the development of bioactive biomaterials, aiming at combining the relevant antibacterial properties of the metal with the peculiar performance of the biomaterial.