Abstract
Polymer nanoparticles (NPs) represent one of the most innovative non-invasive approaches for drug delivery applications. NPs main objective is to convey the therapeutic molecule be they drugs, proteins, or nucleic acids directly into the target organ or tissue. Many polymers are used for the synthesis of NPs and among the currently most employed materials several biocompatible synthetic polymers, namely polylactic acid (PLA), poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA), and polyethylene glycol (PEG), can be cited. These molecules are made of simple monomers which are naturally present in the body and therefore easily excreted without being toxic. The present review addresses the different approaches that are most commonly adopted to synthetize biocompatible NPs to date, as well as the experimental strategies designed to load them with therapeutic agents. In fact, drugs may be internalized in the NPs or physically dispersed therein. In this paper the various types of biodegradable polymer NPs will be discussed with emphasis on their applications in drug delivery. Close attention will be devoted to the treatment of cancer, where both active and passive targeting is used to enhance efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity, and to diseases affecting the central nervous system, inasmuch as NPs can be modified to target specific cells or cross membrane barriers.
Highlights
In recent years, pharmaceutical research has focused on the development of nanotechnology systems applicable in different fields of medicine, especially in the field of drug delivery
Other synthetic biocompatible polymers that have been efficiently employed for the formation of nanocarriers are poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) which, at times, are conveniently used as a copolymer with lactide (PCLLA), poly-glutamic acid (PGlu), or poly(alkyl-cyanoacrylate), especially poly(butyl-cyanoacrylate) (PBCA) [20,21,22]
In recent years, many researchers have focused their studies on the production and use of polyglycolic acid (PGA), polylactic acid (PLA), and poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticles that are able to cross the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and release drugs for the treatment of neural diseases
Summary
Pharmaceutical research has focused on the development of nanotechnology systems applicable in different fields of medicine, especially in the field of drug delivery. The possibility of using NPs constituted by biocompatible and biodegradable polymers to deliver enzymes in those tissues where they are lacking or absent represents an enormous advantage by overcoming a series of ERT problems. To describe different classes of nanocompounds currently currently in use ofas“polymers polymeric drugs, polymer–drug conjugates, polymer–protein conjugates, in use as polymeric drugs, polymer–drug conjugates, polymer–protein conjugates, polymeric micelles, polymeric micelles, and polyplexes [4] These systems allow active principles, peptides, and proteins polyplexes [4].beThese systems allow localized active principles, and as well genes asand well as genes to conveyed through release inpeptides, the tissue of proteins interest [5]. NPs istransport aimed biodegradable “drug targeting”, is, the selective of a at “drug targeting”, the selective transport of a therapeutic agent to its action therapeutic agent tothat itsis,action site independently of the compartment or site the independently method of of the compartment or active the method of administration [6]. Nanoparticulate systems to bycountries; virtue of and, the ability of nanoparticulatediseases, systems to the cross the blood–brain barrier
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