title: Engineered inorganic nanoparticles for drug delivery applications.
abstract: Inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) currently have immense potential as drug delivery vectors due to their unique physicochemical properties such as high surface area per unit volume, their optical and magnetic uniqueness and the ability to be functionalized with a large number of ligands to enhance their affinity towards target molecules. These features, together with the therapeutic activity of some drugs, render the combination of these two entities (NP-drug) as an attractive alternative in the area of drug delivery. One of the major advantages of these conjugates is the possibility to have a local delivery of the drug, thus reducing systemic side effects and enabling a higher efficiency of the therapeutic molecule. This review highlights the direct implications of nanoscale particles in the development of drug delivery systems. In more detail, it is also remarked the extensive use of inorganic NPs for targeted cancer therapies. As the range of nanoparticles and their applications continues to increase, human safety concerns are gaining importance, which makes it necessary to better understand the potential toxicity hazards of these materials.
authors.affiliation: Institut Català de Nanotecnologia, UAB Campus, 08193 Cerdanyola del Vallés, Barcelona, Spain. Isaac.Ojea.icn@uab.es
authors.forename: Isaac
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ojea-Jiménez
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Comenge
authors.forename: Lorena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Fernández
authors.forename: Zoë A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Megson
authors.forename: Eudald
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casals
authors.forename: Victor F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Puntes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents