Nanomedicines Flashcards
(44 cards)
What are Nanomedicines?
Nanomedicine is the application of nanotechnology in the medical field, includes the development of nanostructures and nanoanalytical systems for medical applications. Also described as technologies under 1000nm
What is nano?
1 nm = 10^-9
What are nanoparticles?
Matters at the dimension between 1-1000 nm
What are the advantages of nanotechnologies?
– improved bioavailability, minimized toxic side effects, enhanced drug delivery, feasibility of incorporating other functions such as controlled release, imaging agents, targeting delivery, improving existing drug effectiveness, gene therapeutics , creating new types of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics
What are some other uses of nanomedicines?
apart from drug delivery, detection of molecules (diagnosis, biosensors)
For oral delivery, what size should nanoparticles be?
Smaller than 100 nm
For intravenous delivery what size should nanoparticles be?
Size range of 50-150 nm are considered optimal for circulation and accumulation
What are the types of nanoparticles?
Polymeric nanoparticles, lipid based nanoparticles, drug conjugates, hydrogel/colloid nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, metal nanoparticles
When it comes to the delivery of active compounds, what is an issue with nanoparticles and how can this be combated?
The insufficient drug loading, often associated with uncontrolled drug release. Functionalizing the surface of conventional nanoparticle metals like gold or silver to carry drugs is an option to increase the drug loading
Why can metal nanoparticles carry relatively high drug doses?
because they can be synthesised in very small doses therefore they have large SA
What are the 2 methods used to prepare metal nanoparticles?
- Up-bottom methods, which typically require expensive equipment (e.g., high-energy laser to evaporate atoms from the surface of metals)
- chemical methods such as chemical, photochemical or electrochemical synthesis, microemulsion-mediated synthesis, seed-mediated synthesis and growth, or chemical vapour deposition
What are liposomes?
Small spherical systems that are synthesized from cholesterol and non-toxic phospholipids. Hydrophobic active molecules are encapsulated into the bilayer membrane
What are the 4 types of liposome?
conventional liposome, theranostic liposome, PEGylated liposome and ligand-targeted liposome
What do conventional liposomes improve?
Therapeutic index and toxicity
What do PEGylated liposomes improve?
stability and circulation time in bloodstream
What methods are used for the preparation of polymeric nanoparticles?
solvent evaporation, spontaneous emulsification, solvent diffusion, polymerization
Describe polymeric nanoparticles
made out of synthetic or natural polymers, have a matrix architecture composed of biodegradable and biocompatible polymers
Apart from steady drug release, what is another advantage of biodegradable nanoparticles
they do not accumulate in body
How are nanomedicines used in drug delivery and detection?
for protection and delivery of active ingredient, for release of therapeutic dose and in detection as a diagnostic tool to detect biomarkers, in imagining etc
What determines the biological performance of nanomedicines?
The nanomedicine’s dependent variables, particle size distribution, surface charge, and morphological characteristics
What are the 3 major interactions of nanomedicines?
biodistribution characteristics, cellular uptake to show efficacy, and finally clearance from the tissues
What happens nanomedicines after exposure to systemic circulation?
protein molecules adsorb forming an out shell around the particles , it can be fatal but also avoided by using low fouling coating such as PEG
Particles of what size are cleared through the kidneys?
10nm
How are bigger particles cleared?
Liver or mononuclear phagocyte system
