RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT
Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery Potential, progress and the way forward… and technology has made it possible for nanotechnology-based products to be commercially available; and since the early 1990’s, many nano-pharmaceuticals have gained US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Modern approaches combined with advances in genetic and molecular biology can eventually pave the way for personalised medicine and therapies in the future. Need for nanotechnology
Nanotechnology offers an innovative platform for the development of multivalent therapeutic systems with advanced pharmaceutical properties. Nano-particulate drug delivery systems have gained a lot of attention due to their characteristic features such as sustained drug release, targeting capability along with reduced toxicity profiles. In recent years, this potential has translated into commercially available products for the management of various diseases. Sai Akilesh M, Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research Ashish Wadhwani, Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research
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he concept of nanotechnology was first described by Nobel laureate Richard Feynman in a popular lecture he gave entitled ‘There’s Plenty of Room at the Bottom’ on 29 December, 1959. The initial applications conceived through nanotechnology were limited to atomic scale physics and information stor-
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P H A RM A F O C U S A S I A
ISSUE 45 - 2021
age. Today, nanotechnology has reached far greater heights and is applied in diverse fields such as high-performance capacitors and batteries, optical imaging / contrast agents and most importantly, as drug delivery systems for the clinical management of various diseases such as cancer and HIV. The advancement of science
Nanotechnology refers to the applications of nanoscale materials to achieve innovation. Nanomaterials offer unique properties and characteristics, which are completely different from bulk matter. They range from nanoparticles which are simple and are about 1-100 nm in dimension to more complex structures such as dendrimers, solid lipid nanoparticles, core-shell nanoparticles, and conjugated drug delivery systems. The most fundamental aspect of nanomaterials is their nano-dimension. Its associated implications on the overall drug profile can be exploited in the way of new formulations and delivery systems. Their unique and intrinsic properties can be directly attributed to the increase in surface to volume ratio at the nanoscale. Surface functionalisation through suitable chemical moieties and specific markers helps in targeted drug delivery and masking from immune system. Their bio-compatibility can be improved; even anatomically reserved sites such as the
