ABSTRACT
In the world of medicine, drugs that demonstrate improved treatment efficacy with reduced adverse side effects are highly desired. The need for improved and specific delivery to cells and tumors in vivo has taken center stage. This chapter discusses the current advances and challenges in active nanoparticle targeting for the development of next-generation medicinal therapeutics. Active nanoparticle targeting has been explored as a potential innovation to improve both efficacy and safety. While polymer and liposome-based technologies dominate the nano-drug delivery landscape, the scope and composition of nano-sized delivery systems are increasing. Chemical attachment of polyethylene glycol to therapeutics results in improved water solubility, reduced enzymatic degradation, and reduced antigenicity. Ligand-based nanoparticle drug targeting describes the method by which ligands on nanoparticle surfaces bind to their cognate receptors present on the cell surface.
