Abstract

RELEVANCE OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN DRUG DELIVERY: AN OVERVIEW

Iyabo Christianah Oladipo* and Victoria Atinuke Ajayi

ABSTRACT

A number of complex diseases such as cancer, metabolic disorder, neurodegenerative disorders, diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases have plagued the world with very high mortality rate. The treatment of these diseases have posed a major challenge in the field of medicine in relation to the method of delivering the therapeutic agent against the disease. Although there are effective therapeutic agent and drugs for these diseases, the delivery systems remain a concern. The limitations of the conventional drug delivery system which include non-target delivery, poor drug bioavailability, undesirable side effects, low drug loading capacity, plasma fluctuation of the drug level and low therapeutic effectiveness have contributed to the difficulties in the treatment of these complex diseases. The quest to alleviate these challenges posed by the conventional drug delivery systems and improve the efficiency of drugs and other therapeutic substances have necessitated the development of new drug delivery systems that is capable of improving effectiveness and potency of drug therapy with greater safety. However, nanotechnology has found relevance and tremendously altered the field of drug delivery by proffering solutions to the problems of the conventional drug delivery systems. Nanotechnology offers techniques capable of delivering drugs to target site with greater efficiency and reduced side effects. Nanomaterials as major tools in nanotechnological applications possess unique properties which make them function as drug carriers. They are used as effective transport and delivery systems. Lipid-based nanosystems, polymer-based nanosystems, metallic nanoparticles, carbon nanomaterial, nanocrystals and nanosuspension are some of the nanosystems which have revolutionalized the field of drug delivery with notable successful applications in the treatment of diseases. This review therefore presents the relevance of nanotechnology in overcoming the limitations posed by conventional drug delivery systems.

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