ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a summary of the status of research into the design, development and clinical applications of nanomaterial-antibody hybrid agents. Research into the use of nanotechnology for drug delivery and imaging has witnessed remarkable growth. Targeting of diseased cells can be achieved by surface modification of nanomaterials using molecules such as antibodies, antibody fragments, aptamers and peptides, that specifically bind disease-associated receptors or antigens. Antibodies are being studied extensively as components of nanomedicines because of their excellent specificity and the availability of a large number of functional groups for attachment to nanomaterials. Liposomes, self-assembled colloidal vesicles with a characteristic lipid bilayered membrane are the most frequently studied nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery. Liposomes are prepared from lipid dispersions in water, comprising the addition of an aqueous phase to dry lipid layers followed by vortexing, reverse phase evaporation, detergent dialysis or ethanol injection and high-pressure homogenization.
