Nanotechnology solutions for infectious diseases in developing nations

摘要

Nanotechnology has opened the possibility of controlling and manipulating structures at the molecular level. In pharmaceutical sciences, nanotechnology has made dissolution rates remarkably faster and higher, increased the bioavailability of many drugs, and improved the stability of sensitive agents. The promise that nanotechnology holds for the future is the ability to target specific cell types, tissues and organs. A comprehensive body of work has been accomplished over the years in developing vehicles that improve the biodistribution of anticancer drugs and their accumulation in specific body sites, especially those sites resistant to treatment. These strategies also included the inhibition of efflux transporters involved in the development of resistance. A report by Cientifica Ltd. forecasted a critical expansion in the nano-based drug delivery market from Dollars 3.4 billion (from about Dollars 33 billion of the total drug delivery market) in 2007 to about Dollars 26 billion by 2012, representing an approximately 37% annual growth, a promising beginning for the Dollars 220 B expected for 2015. Given the present circumstances, we are witnessing a revolution in therapeutics.