Nanotheranostics in drug targeting

Nanotheranostics is the integration of diagnostic and therapeutic function in one system at nono-size level, which attracts attention in personalized medicine. Because treating cancer is not a one-size-fits-all scenario, it requires therapy to be adapted to the patient's specific biomolecules. It identifies biomarkers to gain an understanding of the diagnosis and in turn treating the specific disorder based on the precise diagnosis. By predominantly utilizing the unique properties of nanoparticles to achieve biomarker identification and drug delivery, nanotheranostics can be applied to noninvasively discover and target image biomarkers and further deliver treatment based on the biomarker distribution. Different drug delivery systems such as liposomes, microspheres, nanoparticles, nonogels and nonobiocapsules have been used to improve the bioavailability of the drug in the brain, but microchips and biodegradable polymeric nanoparticulate careers are found to be more effective therapeutically in treating brain tumor. The physiological approaches also utilized to improve the transcytosis capacity of specific receptors expressed across the BBB. It is found that the low-density lipoproteins related protein (LPR) with engineered peptide compound (EpiC) formed the platform incorporating the Angiopep peptide as new effective therapeutics.  The lipid-based formulations comprise nanoemulsions, solid-lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), nano-structured lipid carriers (NLCs), liposomes, and niosomal systems, etc. have found more promising antitubercular activity as its intended for targeted drug delivery especially to the infected part. Further mannosylation of liposomes offers tremendous results in TB chemotherapy as it directly binds to mannose receptors available on the surface of alveolar macrophages resulting mycobacterium destruction. SLNs and manosylated SLNs are the advanced form of the lipid formulations, which found to enhance the drug uptake at the infected organ and show significant in vivo anti-tubercular activity with reduced toxicity.

Recently it has been found that the use of nanotechnology in the field of pharmaceutical biotechnology helps in improving the drug delivery strategy including the kinetics and therapeutic index to solve the delivery problems of some biotech drugs including the recombinant proteins and oligonucleotides. Use of nanotechnological based formulations and nanomaterials are increasing day-by-day in wide range covering a broad typology of applications, from design and development of targeted drug delivery systems, manufacturing of pesticides, domestic appliances, textiles, to bioremediation engineering. There are therefore concerns about the environmental risks or bioaccumulation related issues that may arise particularly resulting from the application of drug loaded nano-carriers or effect of pesticides that reach the natural ecosystems.