Nanotechnology: intelligent design to treat complex disease

Pharm Res. 2006 Jul;23(7):1417-50. doi: 10.1007/s11095-006-0284-8. Epub 2006 Jun 21.

Abstract

The purpose of this expert review is to discuss the impact of nanotechnology in the treatment of the major health threats including cancer, infections, metabolic diseases, autoimmune diseases, and inflammations. Indeed, during the past 30 years, the explosive growth of nanotechnology has burst into challenging innovations in pharmacology, the main input being the ability to perform temporal and spatial site-specific delivery. This has led to some marketed compounds through the last decade. Although the introduction of nanotechnology obviously permitted to step over numerous milestones toward the development of the "magic bullet" proposed a century ago by the immunologist Paul Ehrlich, there are, however, unresolved delivery problems to be still addressed. These scientific and technological locks are discussed along this review together with an analysis of the current situation concerning the industrial development.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anti-Infective Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Drug Delivery Systems / economics
  • Drug Delivery Systems / trends*
  • Drug Industry / economics
  • Drug Industry / trends
  • Humans
  • Hypoglycemic Agents / administration & dosage*
  • Nanotechnology / economics
  • Nanotechnology / trends*
  • Technology, Pharmaceutical / economics
  • Technology, Pharmaceutical / trends

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Hypoglycemic Agents