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Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems for the treatment of Atherosclerosis

Michael Ngo, Bhanuteja Madhu, and Yashwant Pathak

Nanotechnology is at the forefront of medical technology. It has a vast number of applications in the health sciences and new breakthroughs are being made constantly using it. Atherosclerosis, a disease that has plagued humankind from as early as Ancient Egypt, has now been placed into consideration in conjunction with nanotechnology to develop new ways to deliver drugs in order to treat this heart condition. The purpose of this research article is to shed light on recent developments in Nanotechnology by analyzing its recent real world applications to treat Atherosclerosis.

Traditional methods of treatment including medication, lifestyle changes, and even invasive surgeries. Out of the three methods, two of them have been identified as having complications. Oral medication and surgical procedures have proven to be successful in treating Atherosclerosis, but both can cause unintentional tissue damages amongst other problems. Nanotechnology can be used to precisely deliver drugs and even help at a cellular level by improving white blood cell responses to plaque buildup. Research has shown promising results when nanotechnology was used. The usage of liposomes developed with nanotechnology helped increase solubility of statins which helped increase absorption and bioavailability. When medication was placed inside the developed liposome, it was shielded until it reached the target site. The biochemical properties of liposomes have helped researchers attach biomolecules like antibodies to the liposomes in order to help with targeting as well as guiding and attracting macrophages to areas of interest like plaque sites. Another nanotechnology that is being further developed for a medical application is carbon nanotubes. These nanotubes can be easily grown and have been used successfully to deliver drugs and even create nano-scaffolding to help tissue growth and regeneration. Nanotechnology has an enormous potential for medicine and when applied to the heart condition Atherosclerosis, nanotechnology has been able to prove its usefulness successfully.

Key words: Carbon Fiber, Carbon Nanotubes, Drug Delivery, Micro Motors, Atherosclerosis, LDL, Liposomes, Liposome Drug Delivery