Nanotherapeutics is a rapidly progressing area in the field of Nanomedicine, which is being utilized to overcome several limitations of conventional drug, including poor aqueous solubility, lack of site specific targeting, rapid systemic clearance, intestinal metabolism and systemic toxicities. Nanotherapeutics includes, but not limited to, solid-lipid nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, nanocrystals, magnetic nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, nanosponges, albumin nanoparticles, fullerene nanoparticles and polymeric nanoparticles[1-4].
Nanotechnology offers many advantages to drug delivery systems and the molecular imaging field as well as having the potential to literally revolutionize both of these fields. In terms of drug delivery systems, liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, and metal colloidals (diameters less than 100 nm) have been extensively studied to enhance the efficacy of therapeutic agents [5-9].
Owing to their small size and excellent biocompatibility, nanosized drug carriers can travel in the bloodstream for a long time, enabling them to reach a target site and effectively deliver therapeutic agents, all the while minimizing the inefficiency and side effects of free drugs.
In spite of the extensive research and success stories with other routes for drug delivery, the oral route is still the most favored route as a result of its convenience, low cost, and high patient compliance compared with numerous further routes. About 90 percent of drug products are administered via the oral route [10]. But, the oral route isn’t the most efficient route for a particular therapy. Novel drug delivery technologies are essential for new biological drugs such as nucleic acids and proteins in order to diminish the possible side effects and attain better patient compliance [11, 12].
The latest advances in nanotechnologies, especially in nanoparticles, ma