Modern pharmaceuticals mostly consist of compounds that are dispensed orally through solid pills or as materials injected into the bloodstream. For most of the pharmaceutical industry’s existence, these have been the primary forms of drug delivery to a patient. However, new advancements in the field of medical drug delivery have created new formulas that control the rate of drug release and specifically target the injured areas of the body. At the forefront of this research are liposome nanoparticles. [Citation 1]

 

 

DRUG DELIVERY

 

The term “drug delivery” refers to the various techniques of transporting compounds into the body to achieve a remedial effect. Typically, drug delivery mechanisms focus on both the quantity and duration of drug presence in the body. Drugs can be delivered into the body through specific chemical formulas, but it can also be accomplished through technology or medical devices. Drugs are generally released into the body through diffusion, degradation, swelling or affinity-based mechanisms. Drugs are administered through the mouth, skin, across mucous membranes, or through inhalation methods. However, peptide and gene-based drugs cannot enter the body through these routes because of the risk of enzymatic degradation. As a result, they are generally injected into the body. For example, vaccines normally consist of peptide compounds and are injected into the bloodstream. [Citation 2] [Citation 3]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Currently, scientists are hard at work creating targeted delivery mechanisms, which only insert the drugs into the injured sites, as opposed to general distribution through the body. As a result, the patient would have to consume less medication, which would drastically reduce the numerous side effects that often accompany drug consumption. Targeted drug delivery would especially be beneficial for cancer patients, as drugs can be injected directly to the site of cancerous tissue. Targeted drug delivery mechanisms generally involve sustained release formulas as well, which allow the drug to be released over a long period of time in a controlled manor. The systems must also avoid immune system attack. [Citation 4]