Dual Role of Polymeric Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery and Diagnosis

Abstract

Polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) have emerged as a crucial tool in the development and optimization of drug-delivery systems, particularly for diseases with significant morbidity, reduced quality of life, or high mortality. PNPs, as a subset of nanomedicine, are characterized by their size, surface properties, drug-loading capacity, targeting potential, and compatibility with diagnostic agents. These characteristics enable the formation of multifunctional nano devices for therapeutic applications. PNPs offer several advantages, including high reproducibility, homogeneity, and control over their properties, which are essential for scaling up from laboratory to industrial production. They are commonly used as drug carriers due to their biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high drug-loading capacity. PNPs can encapsulate a wide range of therapeutic agents, including proteins, peptides, growth factors, DNAs, mRNA, and drugs. They can be administered through various routes, such as nasal, oral, intravenous, topical, and ocular, and have the potential to target specific cells or tissues, thereby increasing local drug concentration, reducing toxicity and side effects, and preventing nonspecific interactions. This review also addresses the challenges associated with nanoparticle stability under physiological conditions and the difficulties in scaling up production while maintaining quality. It highlights the need for high productivity systems that can synthesize PNPs in an easy, fast, and controlled manner.