ABSTRACT
Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) present a family of versatile nanoscale materials with great potential in nanomedicine, especially in the field of drug/gene delivery. PNPs are promising drug deliver systems for gene delivery, by either enhancing or silencing the expression of target genes. PNPs have emerged as a promising vaccination platform, particularly by the oral delivery route, given PNPs are able to encapsulate various antigenic materials and then deliver at target sites. PNPs were used as a substitute of hemoglobin, with further proposed usage in the delivery of oxygen to hypoxic tissues. Drugs can either be encapsulated within the cores of PNPs or be attached to the particulate surfaces as a loosely bound adsorbed layer or via covalent bonds. Various PNPs have been designed to provide support, stability and ensure reusability of various enzymes. PNPs can modulate autophagic activities, with further possibilities of them influencing various diseases, including metabolic disorders, and enhancing the efficacy of anticancer drugs.
