Premium
Self‐Assembled Smart Nanocarriers for Targeted Drug Delivery
Author(s) -
Cui Wei,
Li Junbai,
Decher Gero
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
advanced materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 10.707
H-Index - 527
eISSN - 1521-4095
pISSN - 0935-9648
DOI - 10.1002/adma.201502479
Subject(s) - nanocarriers , drug delivery , drug , targeted drug delivery , nanotechnology , materials science , drug carrier , controlled release , pharmacology , medicine
Nanostructured drug‐carrier systems promise numerous benefits for drug delivery. They can be engineered to precisely control drug‐release rates or to target specific sites within the body with a specific amount of therapeutic agent. However, to achieve the best therapeutic effects, the systems should be designed for carrying the optimum amount of a drug to the desired target where it should be released at the optimum rate for a specified time. Despite numerous attempts, fulfilling all of these requirements in a synergistic way remains a huge challenge. The trend in drug delivery is consequently directed toward integrated multifunctional carrier systems, providing selective recognition in combination with sustained or triggered release. Capsules as vesicular systems enable drugs to be confined for controlled release. Furthermore, carriers modified with recognition groups can enhance the capability of encapsulated drug efficacy. Here, recent advances are reviewed regarding designing and preparing assembled capsules with targeting ligands or size controllable for selective recognition in drug delivery.