Colloidal systems for drug delivery: from design to therapy.
Nanomedicine, or medicine using nanometric devices, has emerged in the past decade as an exhilarating domain that can help to solve a number of problems linked to unsatisfactory therapeutic responses of so-called 'old drugs'. This dissatisfaction stems from inadequate biodistribution after a drug's application, which leads to a limited therapeutic response but also to numerous side effects to healthy organs. The biodistribution of drugs encapsulated in a nano object that will act as a vector can be modified to tune its therapeutic efficacy. This review provides a general overview of existing colloidal nanovectors: liposomes, polymeric micelles, polymeric vesicles, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs), and dendrimers. We describe their characteristics, advantages and drawbacks, and discuss their use in the treatment of various diseases.
Australian Centre For NanoMedicine (ACN), School of Chemical Engineering, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. m.beija@unsw.edu.au
Mariana
M
Beija
Robert
R
Salvayre
Nancy
N
Lauth-de Viguerie
Jean-Daniel
JD
Marty
D003102:Colloids / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers; D050997:Nanomedicine / Q000379:methods; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*
D003102:Colloids; D004337:Drug Carriers