Abstract

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.