Opportunities and challenges for utilization of nanoparticles as bioactive drug carriers for the targeted treatment of cancer
Nanotechnology has a great potential for improving many areas of research and its applications, like nanoscale phenomena and processes, nanomaterials, nanoscale devices and instrumentation research. Nanoparticles, that are currently used, demonstrate many desirable properties for cancer management, considering their ability to accumulate in the specific parts of pathological areas and provide controlled drug release. Pharmaceutical nanocarriers can be used as a part of drug delivery systems for the purposes of therapy, diagnosis and imaging. Methods for nanoparticle manufacturing are: spray drying, aerosol flow reactor, mechanical methods (milling, homogenization under high pressure), precipitation techniques, techniques using supercritical fluids, methods for emulsion preparation and freezing (lyophilization). Future trends in the development of nanotechnology are expected to go towards additional decrease in dimensions of active and auxiliary compounds. The only way to achieve this is to combine methods used in medicine, engineering, materials studying, information technologies and physics. Keywords: nanoparticles, cancer, drug delivery