Use of Nanoparticles in Medicine

Background: Nanotechnology involves the study of materials having dimensional range 1 to 100 nm. When the concept of nanotechnology is applied in the medical field, the resulting outcome is known as ‘Nanomedicine’. Nanomedicine generally includes nanoparticles, which are explored for various therapeutic applications. Various properties of nanoparticles like high reactivity, large surface area, and ultra small size make them highly efficient compared to conventional therapeutic agents. Methods: Present review discloses applications of various nanoparticulate systems in drug delivery and therapeutics. We searched nanoparticulate systems like liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, lipidic nanoparticles, dendrimers, carbon nanotubes, and gold nanoparticles using search engines like PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: Results of a literature review regarding the use of nanoparticulate systems revealed their high preclinical efficacy, safety, and reduced toxicity compared to various traditional systems used for the delivery of various therapeutic agents. Implementation of targeting moieties like peptides, antibodies, or aptamers in nanoparticulate systems shows a synergistic effect in their efficacy. Conclusion: Nanoparticulate systems have shown significant effects on different areas of the medical field. However, clinical exploration of various nanoparticulate systems is still a challenge and this fact should be taken into consideration by pharmaceutical scientists. Despite this, nanomedicine is expected to have a tremendous effect on various areas of the medical field in the future.