title: [Nanotechnologies for designing new medicines].
abstract: The use of nanotechnologies for the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents is a research strategy which can lead to more efficacious drugs fulfilling unmet medical needs. The morphology, supramolecular organization and properties of first, second and third generation nanocarriers used for the targeted delivery of drugs are discussed. These different nanocarriers (liposomes, nanoparticles, polymers, etc.) may: (I) protect the drug from degradation by the biological environment; (II) allow the controlled delivery of the active molecule by an external stimulus; (III) avoid the recognition of the drug by the reticulo-endothelial system; (IV) overcome multidrug resistance mechanisms of cancer cells and finally (V) very specifically target the therapeutic agent to the diseased cell by means of selective ligands. Some therapeutic applications of these different types of nanocarriers are discussed, especially in the field of cancer therapy. Finally, the future challenges and perspectives of nanotechnologies, especially for  "theragnostic" and gene therapy are briefly discussed.
authors: Faculté de Pharmacie, UMR CNRS 8612, Universit´e Paris-Sud 11, 5 rue J.B. Cl´ement, 92296 Chatenay Malabry, France. patrick.couvreur@u-psud.fr
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Couvreur
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004337:Drug Carriers; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes; D053769:Nanocapsules; D053758:Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D011108:Polymers
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008081:Liposomes; D053769:Nanocapsules; D011108:Polymers