AN OVERVIEW ON NANOPARTICLES
*Samrudhi S. Muley, Rahul S. Gupta, Prof. Nikhil S. Bhujbal, Dr. Rajesh Oswal
Abstract
Nanoparticles are the building blocks of the new emerging field of
nanotechnology that in broadest terms signifies the understanding and
controlling of properties of matter at dimensions of roughly 1–100nm.
The use of nanotechnology in medicine & more specifically drug
delivery is set to spread rapidly. Currently many substances are under
investigation for drug delivery, more specifically for cancer therapy.
Interestingly pharmaceutical sciences are using nanoparticles to reduce
toxicity and side effects of drugs and did not realize that carrier
systems themselves may impose risks to the patient. The kind of
hazards that are introduced by using nanoparticles for drug delivery are
beyond that posed by conventional hazards imposed by chemicals in classical delivery
matrices. For nanoparticles the knowledge on particle toxicity as obtained in inhalation
toxicity shows the way how to investigate the potential hazards of nanoparticles. The
toxicology of particulate matter differs from that of substances as the composing chemical
may or may not be soluble in biological matrices, thus influencing greatly the potential
exposure of various internal organs. The situation is different as their size opens the potential
for crossing the various biological barriers within the body. From a positive viewpoint,
especially the potential to cross the blood brain barrier may open new ways for drug delivery
into the brain. This paper provides an overview on some of the currently used systems for
drug delivery. Besides the potential beneficial use also attention is drawn to the questions
which techniques are in recent usage within the industry.
Keywords: Drug Delivery, Cancer Therapy, Nanoparticles, Toxicology, Pharmaceuticals.
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