ABSTRACT
Expanding on recent progress in control of matter at the nanoscale, nanoparticles have impinged tremendous advancement on their application as delivery vehicles for therapeutic and imaging agents. More specically, nanodelivery vehicles have
7.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 113 7.2 Nanoparticles ................................................................................................ 114 7.3 Metallic Nanoparticles.................................................................................. 115 7.4 Quantum Dots ............................................................................................... 115
7.4.1 Quantum Dot Synthesis .................................................................... 116 7.4.2 Conjugation Strategies ...................................................................... 117 7.4.3 Application of Quantum Dots........................................................... 118
7.5 Upconverting Nanoparticles ......................................................................... 120 7.5.1 Synthesis of Upconverting Nanoparticles ........................................ 120 7.5.2 Upconverting Nanoparticles Inuence on Bioimaging .................... 120
7.6 Iron Oxide Nanoparticles ............................................................................. 121 7.6.1 Synthesis of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles ............................................. 121 7.6.2 Fe2O3 Nanoparticles as Theranostic Agents ..................................... 122
7.7 Gold Nanoparticles ....................................................................................... 122 7.7.1 Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles ...................................................... 122 7.7.2 Gold Nanoparticles for Biosensing and Thermal Therapy ............... 122
7.8 Nonmetal-Based Nanoparticles .................................................................... 123 7.8.1 Liposomes ......................................................................................... 123 7.8.2 Polymers ...........................................................................................124 7.8.3 Dendrimers .......................................................................................124 7.8.4 Micelles ............................................................................................. 125
7.9 Conclusion .................................................................................................... 126 References .............................................................................................................. 126
offered selectivity to targeted organ, tissue, and specic cell type. Besides harboring a payload of therapeutic drugs, functionalized nanoparticles facilitate targeting only diseased tissue and minimizing exposure to healthy tissue. Strategies aimed at further improving nanotherapeutic carriers’ accumulation within diseased tissue are under intensive investigation and could enable, in a not too distant future, the realization of the long sought after treatment of cancer, cardiovascular, and neurological diseases with or without reduced side effects.
