Nanotechnology-Based Solutions to Drug Delivery Challenges

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The treatment of the sick has always been a part of every civilization. It was already known that Sumarians had both male and female physicians who diagnosed and treated patients who were ill. The delivery of therapeutic agents in a variety of forms —from the straightforward consumption of herbs and tree barks to the nanoformulations of today—is at the heart of medical practice. For instance, it is known that the Sumerians, Egyptians, and Greeks used the bark of the willow tree, which is high in salicin—a natural precursor to salicylic acid—as an analgesic by simply chewing on it. This practice continued across centuries and civilizations until the French chemist Charles Gerhardt isolated salicylic acid and synthesised it in a laboratory in 1853. In 1876, MacLagan conducted a thorough clinical trial of salicin on eight patients to demonstrate its effectiveness as an antipyretic and anti-inflammatory medication. In 1899, almost fifty years after Gerhardt's synthesis, Felix Hoffman at Bayer created an oral formulation of acetyl salicylic acid, also known as the iconic Aspirin. This pill was less irritating while still providing the necessary efficacy as an analgesic and antipyretic.

Despite a few alterations, this formulation is still in use today. The drug's formulation and method of administration are just as important as the discovery of the drug's active ingredients. The Egyptians were well aware of the significance of administering medicines to the appropriate organ or site within the body. They had, for instance, developed apparatus for inhaling therapeutic vapors and aerosols derived from herbal asthma treatments. Numerous devices and aerosol formulations have been developed for the treatment of asthma and other conditions, and the same concept of inhalation continues to be used today. The field of medication conveyance has seen a blast of new disclosures and novel advancements over the most recent 50 years. There are still problems that haven't been solved despite all the progress made in the field. For instance, developing the most effective formulations for the delivery of biologics and medicinal compounds that are insoluble, such as proteins, nucleic acids, and cells, remains a challenge. Additionally, better solutions are required for overcoming biological barriers at the systemic, organ, tissue, and cellular levels. Targeted, controlled, and continuous drug delivery are additional areas in need of improvement. Nanotechnology advancements and engineering and biomedicine breakthroughs may contribute to the development of solutions to these issues. Any one of the three fundamental components of precision medicine that were mentioned earlier can benefit from synergistic interactions between these fields in which one field's discovery opens up a new field for another. A new illustration of this collaboration that has helped mankind is the Coronavirus mRNA immunization improvement that was conceivable through natural exploration alongside a nanoparticle-based conveyance framework. This is one example of many where team science and synergistic interactions between disciplines have resulted in elegant and effective solutions for unmet needs in global human health. In this case, molecular biology provided the mRNA sequence of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, which is the antigen in the vaccine.

Nanotechnology provided a lipid nanoparticle formulation that encapsulates and transports the mRNA to the cells by crossing the cell membrane. arious changes of nanoparticles for ideal helpful RNA conveyance is talked about. Zhang et al.'s paper highlights the use of nanocarriers as immunomodulatory adjuvants to improve the effectiveness of nanovaccines in applications against cancer, viruses, and bacteria. 

Warm Regards
Alisha
Journal Coordinator
Journal of Medical & Clinical Reviews