Comprehensive Review on Nanoparticle Based Delivery Sysytems

Targeted pharmaceutical drug delivery methods have developed as one of the most remarkable discoveries in pharmaceutical science. Drug delivery methods traditionally can suffer from limitations such as limited bioavailability (i.e., how well a drug can reach its site of action), lack of targeting (i.e., how well a drug can reach the area of the body in which it is needed), rapid drug degradation (i.e., how quickly a drug breaks down before it has a chance to be effective), and adverse drug reactions (i.e., how harmful a drug can be to a person). Through providing solutions for these issues by providing improvements in both drug stability and enhancement in therapeutic efficacy as well as allowing for the delivery of drugs to specific tissues or organs, nanoparticles have become an innovative solution for drug delivery systems. Nanoparticles are considered colloidal systems and are typically 1 - 1000 nm in size. Nanoparticles possess unique physicochemical properties that allow them to effectively interact with biological systems. There are numerous types of nanoparticle carriers including but not limited to liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, dendrimers, and inorganic nanoparticles. The aim of this review article is to comprehensively discuss various types of nanoparticles-based drug delivery systems including their method of preparation as well as their advantages, disadvantages, and pharmaceutical applications. A comparative evaluation will also be provided to illustrate the applicability for targeted therapies and for controlling the release of drugs from the carriers.