Healthcare has long been on a quest for a ‘magic bullet’ to cure the dreaded disease cancer. As this book shows, nanoparticles perfectly fit the bill with their promising characteristics. Meticulously engineered nanostructures, with a useful drug or molecule, target a specific cancer in unique ways. However, as with many targeted systems, the effectiveness of the system needs to be weighed against the adverse effects. The toxicity of nanoparticles has been a worldwide concern, and evidence-based medicine analyses nanostructures for proof of safety and their efficacy in killing cancer cells. This book gives a fresh perspective on a wealth of diverse nanotechnological advances for various cancers.

This first comprehensive overview on nanotechnological approaches to cancer therapy brings together therapeutic oncology and nanotechnology, showing the various strategic approaches to selectively eliminating cancerous cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. The strategies covered include magnetic, optical, microwave and neutron absorption techniques, nanocapsules for active agents, nanoparticles as active agents, and active and passive targeting, while also dealing with fundamental aspects of how nanoparticles cross biological barriers. A valuable single source gathering the many articles published in specialized journals often difficult to locate for members of the other disciplines involved.

This book is the third volume on this subject and focuses on the recent advances of nanopharmaceuticals in cancer, dental, dermal and drug delivery applications and presents their safety, toxicity and therapeutic efficacy. The book also includes the transport phenomenon of nanomaterials and important pathways for drug delivery applications. It goes on to explain the toxicity of nanoparticles to different physiological systems and methods used to assess this for different organ systems using examples of in vivo systems.

Nanomaterials for Drug Delivery and Therapy presents recent advances in the field of nanobiomaterials and their important applications in drug delivery, therapy and engineering. The book offers pharmaceutical perspectives, exploring the development of nanobiomaterials and their interaction with the human body. Chapters show how nanomaterials are used in treatments, including neurology, dentistry and cancer therapy. Authored by a range of contributors from global institutions, this book offers a broad, international perspective on how nanotechnology-based advances are leading to novel drug delivery and treatment solutions. It is a valuable research resource that will help both practicing medics and researchers in pharmaceutical science and nanomedicine learn more on how nanotechnology is improving treatments. - Assesses the opportunities and challenges of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems - Explores how nanotechnology is being used to create more efficient drug delivery systems - Discusses which nanomaterials make the best drug carriers

Nanostructures for Antimicrobial Therapy discusses the pros and cons of the use of nanostructured materials in the prevention and eradication of infections, highlighting the efficient microbicidal effect of nanoparticles against antibiotic-resistant pathogens and biofilms. Conventional antibiotics are becoming ineffective towards microorganisms due to their widespread and often inappropriate use. As a result, the development of antibiotic resistance in microorganisms is increasingly being reported. New approaches are needed to confront the rising issues related to infectious diseases. The merging of biomaterials, such as chitosan, carrageenan, gelatin, poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) with nanotechnology provides a promising platform for antimicrobial therapy as it provides a controlled way to target cells and induce the desired response without the adverse effects common to many traditional treatments. Nanoparticles represent one of the most promising therapeutic treatments to the problem caused by infectious micro-organisms resistant to traditional therapies. This volume discusses this promise in detail, and also discusses what challenges the greater use of nanoparticles might pose to medical professionals. The unique physiochemical properties of nanoparticles, combined with their growth inhibitory capacity against microbes has led to the upsurge in the research on nanoparticles as antimicrobials. The importance of bactericidal nanobiomaterials study will likely increase as development of resistant strains of bacteria against most potent antibiotics continues. - Shows how nanoantibiotics can be used to more effectively treat disease - Discusses the advantages and issues of a variety of different nanoantibiotics, enabling medics to select which best meets their needs - Provides a cogent summary of recent developments in this field, allowing readers to quickly familiarize themselves with this topic area

Nano-Pharmacokinetics and Theranostics: Advancing Cancer Therapy addresses from a comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach the translational aspects and clinical perspectives of nano-pharmacokinetics using cancer as a model disease. Nano-pharmacokinetics is emerging as an important sub discipline of nanoscience and medical sciences because of the increasing safety issues of nanosystems on living organisms. This book reports the dynamics of nanosystems in living organisms for better understanding of nanotoxicity, pharmacology, biochemistry, physiology and medicine perspectives. It further examines current progress of state-of-the art pharmacokinetics mechanisms, which will be of great help to develop more clinical-oriented nanosystems with a wide safety margin. The book is divided into three sections: the first section focuses on the concept of pharmacokinetics with state-of-the-art Nano-Pharmacokinetics (NPK). The second section looks at the engineering of nanoparticles and pharmacokinetics clinical development. The final section focuses on Nano-Pharmacokinetics and Theranostics, elaborating the basic question of how pharmacokinetics of nanomaterials relate to their end applications such as cancer therapy. Nano-Pharmacokinetics and Theranostics: Advancing Cancer Therapy will be useful to researchers in the field of nanoparticle based targeted drug delivery including pharmaceutical scientists, material scientists, chemists, nanotechnologists, biomedical scientists, and clinicians. Includes contributions from highly qualified scientists, regulatory entities, enterprises and medical practitioners to explain the long and inherently multidisciplinary pathway of nano-pharmacokinetics Describes assessment methods of nano-pharmacokinetics Examines the interface between nanomedicine and pharmacokinetics to diagnose and treat cancer

The book provides a single volume covering detailed descriptions about various delivery systems, their principles and how these are put in use for the treatment of multiple diseases. It is divided into four sections where the first section deals with the introduction and importance of novel drug delivery system. The second section deals with the most advanced drug delivery systems like microbubbles, dendrimers, lipid-based nanoparticles, nanofibers, microemulsions etc., describing the major principles and techniques of the preparations of the drug delivery systems. The third section elaborates on the treatments of diverse diseases like cancer, topical diseases, tuberculosis etc. The fourth and final section provides a brief informative description about the regulatory aspects of novel drug delivery system that is followed in various countries.