Gold nanoparticles: a novel paradigm for targeted drug delivery

Abstract

Nanotechnology involves the manipulation and utilization of molecules whose dimension have nanoscale range, 1–100 nm. It is a multidisciplinary field encompassing biology, medicine, chemistry, physics, pharmaceutical, and so on. The applications of these materials in Nano medicine have proven immense benefits in treatment procedures, providing curative effects and an alternative perspective toward approaching various diseases. The rapid development of nanoscale delivery systems has yielded the opportunities to serve in diagnosis and in targeted drug delivery of therapeutic agents in a monitored and controlled manner. However, even after these developments designing and targeting specific systems requires continued efforts to be clinically applicable. Discussion based on the current advancements and developments regarding the different approaches of drug delivery mechanisms with focus on gold nanoparticles are reviewed in this article. For a successful designing of targeted drug delivery modalities, the nature and behavior of gold nanoparticles administered in the in vivo environment and their strategies are required to be understood and elucidated.

Graphical Abstract

Highlights

• Nanomaterial applications in various biomedical fields

• Emphasis on targeted drug delivery system for cancer treatments

Keywords:

• Nanotechnology
• nanomedicine
• targeted drug delivery
• gold nanoparticles
• cancer therapy

Acknowledgement

All authors are thankful to B.S. Abdur Rahman Institute of Science & Technology, Chennai for providing facilities in School of Life sciences.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.