Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Nanotechnology hold tremendous potential as an effective drug delivery system. In this review we discussed recent developments in nanotechnology for drug delivery. To overcome the problems of gene and drug delivery, nanotechnology has gained interest in recent years. Nanosystems with different compositions and biological properties have been extensively investigated for drug and gene delivery applications. To achieve efficient drug delivery it is important to understand the interactions of nanomaterials with the biological environment, targeting cell-surface receptors, drug release, multiple drug administration, stability of therapeutic agents and molecular mechanisms of cell signalling involved in pathobiology of the disease under consideration. Several anti-cancer drugs including paclitaxel, doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil and dexamethasone have been successfully formulated using nanomaterials. Quantom dots, chitosan, Polylactic/glycolic acid (PLGA) and PLGA-based nanoparticles have also been used for in vitro RNAi delivery. Brain cancer is one of the most difficult malignancies to detect and treat mainly because of the difficulty in getting imaging and therapeutic agents past the blood-brain barrier and into the brain. Anti-cancer drugs such as loperamide and doxorubicin bound to nanomaterials have been shown to cross the intact blood-brain barrier and released at therapeutic concentrations in the brain. The use of nanomaterials including peptide-based nanotubes to target the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor and cell adhesion molecules like integrins, cadherins and selectins, is a new approach to control disease progression.

Introduction

Nanotechnology has emerged as a powerful approach to improve drug delivery, diagnosis, and treatment of complex diseases. Nanoparticles, typically smaller than 100 nm, are made from biodegradable polymers, lipids, or metals and are taken up by cells far more efficiently than larger particles. Drugs can be encapsulated within nanoparticles or attached to their surfaces, allowing controlled, targeted delivery and improved therapeutic efficacy. Nanotechnology overcomes major limitations of conventional drug delivery systems, such as poor bioavailability, instability, low solubility, rapid degradation, systemic side effects, and plasma concentration fluctuations.

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems enhance oral bioavailability, protect drugs from degradation, enable sustained and targeted release, bypass first-pass metabolism, and reduce side effects. Their small size allows efficient tissue penetration and cellular uptake, making them particularly valuable for treating chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, asthma, and HIV. Advances in nanosystems have also enabled delivery of poorly water-soluble drugs and improved patient adherence while lowering healthcare costs.

Nanotechnology has been extensively applied in cancer therapy through targeted drug delivery, overcoming drug resistance, crossing biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier, and inhibiting angiogenesis. Nanoparticles loaded with anticancer drugs like paclitaxel and doxorubicin have demonstrated improved efficacy and reduced toxicity, as seen in FDA-approved formulations such as Abraxane® and Doxil®. Targeting strategies using ligands, peptides, antibodies, and surface modifications such as PEGylation enhance tumor specificity and circulation time.

Nanoparticles also play a crucial role in gene therapy, particularly in siRNA delivery, by improving stability, cellular uptake, and tracking of gene silencing mechanisms. Fluorescent and quantum-dot-labeled nanoparticles enable monitoring of intracellular delivery and therapeutic effectiveness.

In inflammatory and infectious diseases, nanoparticles are used to target macrophages and inflammatory molecules, enabling effective intracellular delivery of antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory agents while minimizing systemic toxicity. Smart drug delivery systems (SDDS), also known as stimuli-responsive systems, release drugs in response to internal or external triggers such as pH, temperature, enzymes, or light, allowing “release-on-demand” and enhanced therapeutic precision.

Nanotechnology has also revolutionized medical imaging and diagnostics by improving contrast agents for imaging modalities such as MRI, CT, and optical imaging. Nanomaterials like gold nanoshells offer enhanced resolution, specificity, and reduced toxicity, enabling early disease detection and monitoring of treatment progress.

In cardiovascular disease management, nanoparticle-based systems improve drug targeting, reduce inflammation, enhance thrombolysis, and lower drug-related side effects. Liposomes, dendrimers, and polymeric nanoparticles have shown promise in treating atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and restenosis.

Despite these advances, potential risks associated with nanotechnology—particularly related to toxicity, environmental impact, and long-term health effects—remain a concern. While only certain highly reactive nanomaterials pose significant risks, further research is needed to fully understand and regulate their safety.

Overall, nanotechnology represents a transformative platform for drug delivery, diagnosis, and therapy, offering enhanced specificity, efficacy, and safety, while continuing research is essential to address remaining challenges and risks.

Conclusion

It appears that nano drug delivery systems hold great potential to overcome some of the barriers to efficient targeting of cells and molecules in inflammation and cancer. There also is an exciting possibility to overcome problems of drug resistance in target cells and to facilitating movement of drugs across barriers such as those in the brain. The challenge, however, remains the precise characterization of molecular targets and to ensure that these molecules are expressed only in the targeted organs to prevent effects on healthy tissues. Secondly, it is important to understand the fate of the drugs once delivered to the nucleus and to cause nanosystems increase efficiency of drug delivery, the doses may need recalibration. Nevertheless, the future remains exciting and wide open. There is no doubt that nanotechnologies have helped to improve the quality of life of patients by providing a platform for advances in biotechnological, medicinal and pharmaceutical industries. They have also facilitated healthcare procedures, from diagnosis to therapeutic interventions and follow-up monitoring. There is a constant push to create and develop novel nanomaterials to improve diagnosis and cures for diseases in a targeted, accurate, potent and long-lasting manner, with the ultimate aim of making medical practices more personalised, cheaper and safer.

References

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Copyright © 2026 Priyanka Dhotre , Rohan Mane . This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.