Drug delivery vehicles on a nano-engineering perspective

Mater Sci Eng C Mater Biol Appl. 2014 Aug 1:41:178-95. doi: 10.1016/j.msec.2014.04.049. Epub 2014 Apr 28.

Abstract

Nanoengineered drug delivery systems (nDDS) have been successfully used as clinical tools for not only modulation of pharmacological drug release profile but also specific targeting of diseased tissues. Until now, encapsulation of anti-cancer molecules such as paclitaxel, vincristin and doxorubicin has been the main target of nDDS, whereby liposomes and polymer-drug conjugates remained as the most popular group of nDDS used for this purpose. The success reached by these nanocarriers can be imitated by careful selection and optimization of the different factors that affect drug release profile (i.e. type of biomaterial, size, system architecture, and biodegradability mechanisms) along with the selection of an appropriate manufacture technique that does not compromise the desired release profile, while it also offers possibilities to scale up for future industrialization. This review focuses from an engineering perspective on the different parameters that should be considered before and during the design of new nDDS, and the different manufacturing techniques available, in such a way to ensure success in clinical application.

Keywords: Liposomes; biodegradable polymers; cancer; controlled release; nanotechnology; targeted drug delivery.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / chemistry
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / metabolism
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Humans
  • Liposomes / chemistry
  • Microfluidics
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry
  • Nanotechnology*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / chemistry*
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations / metabolism
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Serum Albumin / chemistry
  • Serum Albumin / metabolism

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Liposomes
  • Pharmaceutical Preparations
  • Polymers
  • Serum Albumin