Drug Delivery Nanosystems: From Bioinspiration and Biomimetics to Clinical Applications

This multi-authored book presents some recent trends and research achievements in the field of pharmaceutical nanotechnology and advanced drug delivery nanosystems. The applications of drug delivery nanosystems, which are considered carriers of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) (i.e., small molecules, proteins, peptides, and nucleic acids), are analyzed on the basis of technology, preparation protocols, and biomedical applications. Nanocrystals, dendrimers, cyclodextrin-based systems, carbon nanotubes, nanoshells, hydrogels, etc., are discussed in considerable depth, and special attention is given to the pharmaceutical technology and biomedical applications based on their design and development approaches. The book extensively reports on principles and design protocols, as well as applications of nanosystems, in drug delivery and targeting of active molecules of pharmaceutical interest. It also summarizes several recent trends, within the past five years, in the field of drug delivery nanosystems, especially for theranostic purposes.