Abstract
Nanotechnology has greatly enhanced the field of medicine over the last decade. Within this field, advances in nanoparticle research have rendered them attractive candidates for drug delivery. Consequently, controlling the chemistry that occurs at the nanoparticle interface influences the efficiency of the drug-delivery system. In this review, we explore the role of coating materials, in the form of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), in enhancing the interfacial properties of nanoparticles. We discuss how SAMs enhance the properties of particles, such as stability and dispersibility, as well as provide a platform for delivering biomolecules and other therapeutic agents. In addition, we describe recent methods for generating nanoparticles with targeted surface functionality using custom-designed SAMs. These functionalities offer marked advances to the three stages of a drug-delivery system: loading, delivery, and release of therapeutic molecules. A suitable functionalization strategy can provide a means for covalent or non-covalent immobilization of drug molecules. Moreover, a robust coating layer can aid the encapsulation of drug molecules and inhibit molecular degradation during the delivery process. A stimuli-responsive SAM layer can also provide an efficient release mechanism. Thus, we also review how stimuli-responsive coatings allow for the controlled release of therapeutic agents. In addition, we discuss the merits and limitations of stimuli-responsive SAMs as well as possible strategies for future delivery systems. Overall, advances in this research area allow for developing novel drug delivery methodologies with high efficiency and minimal toxicity.
Highlights
Medicine as a craft has been practiced for thousands of years
We explore the role of coating materials, in the form of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), in enhancing the interfacial properties of nanoparticles
The modification of NPs with a SAM layer can be employed using two approaches: (1) a direct approach, using the Brust-Schiffrin method, as an example, where the coating takes place at the same time as the synthesis of the NPs to create alkanethiolate-coated gold NPs [44], or (2) using a post-synthesis modification approach, where the NPs are coated via a ligand-exchange process
Summary
Medicine as a craft has been practiced for thousands of years. Today, medicine is a pivotal science for the welfare of humanity. Treatments that lack specificity negatively impact the cost of treatment, leading to a continued increase in healthcare cost To overcome these challenges, researchers have focused on designing smart drug carriers to enhance medical treatments using “on-demand” targeting approaches. Researchers have focused on designing smart drug carriers to enhance medical treatments using “on-demand” targeting approaches Using such an approach, a smart drug vehicle carries therapeutic agents to be released at targeted sites with minimal damage to healthy cells. To create an advanced drug-delivery system using metal NPs, researchers must satisfy three major criteria: (1) effective loading of the drug onto a NP, (2) targeted delivery of the treatment, and (3) successful release of the drugs. We will explore various types of stimuli-responsive ligands for “on-demand” drug release
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