Chapter 1 - Nanotechnology: Scopes and various aspects of drug delivery

Abstract

Nanotechnology is the design, manipulation, characterization, production, and application of structures, devices, and systems by controlling shape and size of materials at the nanometer scale. The ploy of nanotechnology is the unique and often superior optical, electrical, mechanical, catalytic and magnetic surface properties of nanomaterials which has revolutionized various scientific innovations. The technology has found a wide range of applications including breakthrough applications in a wide variety of sectors including biomedical field particularly in diagnostics, therapeutics, bio-imaging and drug delivery. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, especially, have made rapid progress in overcoming the challenges of the conventional drug delivery systems such as accessibility, transporting drugs across biological barriers, bioavailability, poor solubility, in vivo instability and adverse drug effects. Nanotechnology has paved the way for advanced drug delivery systems facilitating targeted drug delivery and controlled drug release thereby increasing therapeutic efficiency and limiting off-target toxicities.