Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems

Abstract There is a need of a carrier that can deliver drugs to the targeted cells and organs, where it can prolong and localize its effect, interacting with the diseased part of the organ specifically to obtain the maximum therapeutic efficiency. There are various methods aimed at the packaging of drug molecules in nanoparticles that can specifically deliver the drug to the pathological area. These nanoparticles are designed in a way that they target the affected region of the particular organ without interacting with the healthy part. Nanoparticles have the ability to cross the cell membrane easily so that it is targeted to the diseased tissue, which in turn decreases the rate of drug doses that have a more uniform effect, reducing the side effect of drug. However, there are various ways to synthesize nanoparticles for packaging of drug compounds and they require a systematic review to analyze their operational efficiency, safety, up-scaling and costs. Therefore, this chapter undertakes a detailed investigation of various factors that influence nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems.