title: Self-Assembled Smart Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery.
abstract: Nanostructured drug-carrier systems promise numerous benefits for drug delivery. They can be engineered to precisely control drug-release rates or to target specific sites within the body with a specific amount of therapeutic agent. However, to achieve the best therapeutic effects, the systems should be designed for carrying the optimum amount of a drug to the desired target where it should be released at the optimum rate for a specified time. Despite numerous attempts, fulfilling all of these requirements in a synergistic way remains a huge challenge. The trend in drug delivery is consequently directed toward integrated multifunctional carrier systems, providing selective recognition in combination with sustained or triggered release. Capsules as vesicular systems enable drugs to be confined for controlled release. Furthermore, carriers modified with recognition groups can enhance the capability of encapsulated drug efficacy. Here, recent advances are reviewed regarding designing and preparing assembled capsules with targeting ligands or size controllable for selective recognition in drug delivery.
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Colloid, Interface and Chemical Thermodynamics, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
authors.forename: Junbai
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Faculté de Chimie, Université de Strasbourg, 1 Rue Blaise Pascal, F-67008, Strasbourg, France.|CNRS - Institut Charles Sadron, 23 Rue du Loess, F-67034, Strasbourg, France.
authors.forename: Gero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Decher
mesh_terms: D002214:Capsules; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000737:chemistry*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D008422:Materials Testing; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000737:chemistry; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D002214:Capsules; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008024:Ligands; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
keywords: drug carriers; molecular assembly; nanostructure; selective recognition