Introduction to Nanomedicine in Drug Delivery

Abstract

Recent advances in the field of nanotechnology have given a boost to the academic researchers, the pharmaceutical and biomedical industry, allowing its use in drug delivery and medical diagnosis. Nanotechnology allows the formulation of drug delivery carriers in the nanometer range that helps in overcoming disadvantages associated with conventional drug delivery systems by being small, target-specific, improved drug encapsulation, stable and less toxic at the same time. With nanotechnology, many drugs especially oncogenic molecules that are toxic or are difficult to deliver have been formulated and delivered successfully and are currently in the market, for example, Myocet® (2000) (Doxorubicin) and Marqibo® (2012) (Vincristine). Nanoparticle-based drug delivery carriers can be classified into two types; organic and inorganic. Organic nanoparticles are mostly used for drug delivery, while inorganic nanoparticles are majorly involved in diagnosis. Organic nanoparticles generally involve but are not limited to liposomes, dendrimers, polymeric micelles, polymeric nanoparticles, and solid lipid nanoparticles. Inorganic nanoparticles involve metals such as gold, silver, and iron oxide. In this chapter, we will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of nanoparticles and various materials that are used for making different types of nanoparticles with relevant examples. Further, we will discuss the recent developments in this field with some examples pertaining to each type of nanoparticles.