Biotechnologia Acta (Apr 2013)

APPLICATION OF NANOPARTICLES IN BIOMEDICINE

  • P. G. Telegeeva,
  • D. S. Iefremenko,
  • G. D. Telegeev,
  • S. S. Maliuta

DOI
https://doi.org/10.15407/biotech6.02.021
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 2
pp. 21 – 32

Abstract

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The advances in nanotechnology, particularly, application in biomedicine are described in the review. The characteristic of the new drug delivery systems is given including lipid, protein and polymer nanoparticles which provide stable delivery of drugs to the target of distribution in the body and prevent their rapid degradation. The advantages of nanometer scale vectors were analyzed. Due to their small size, structure and large surface area, nanoscale materials acquire necessary physico-chemical properties. These properties allow the nanoparticles, containing specific agents, to overcome the limitations existing for the forms of large sizes. This significantly facilitates the intracellular transport to specific cellular targets. Controlled deli very to the place of action and reduction of exposure time on non-target tissues increases efficacy and reduces toxicity and other side effects, which improves the patient's overall health. Use of different ways to deliver nanoparticles allows to deliver low-molecular drugs, proteins, peptides or nucleic acids to specific tissues. Various ways of nanodrugs delivery to a cell and the possibility of modifying their surface by target ligands are discussed in the review. Types of drug delivery systems: microsponges, viruses, imunoconjugates, liposomes, metal nanoparticles and quantum dots, dendrimers, natural and synthetic polymeric nanoparticles, etc are discussed. A large variety of nanovectors, as well as their modification, and loading of various drugs (the methods of inclusion and adsorption are examined), control of their release into the cell, opens prospects for their wide application for visualization of biological processes, diagnosis and therapy of wide range of diseases.

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