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Protein
nanoparticle: A unique system as drug delivery vehicles
Mohsen Jahanshahi* and
Zahra Babaei
Nanobiotechnology Research Center, Faculty of Chemical
Engineering, Babol University of Technology, Iran.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
Mjahan@nit.ac.ir,
mmohse@yahoo.com.
Tel/Fax: +98 (0)111 3220342.
Accepted
8 December, 2008 |
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Over the
past three decades, there has been a considerable research interest in
the area of developing drug delivery using nanoparticles
(NPs) as carriers for small and large molecules.
Targeting delivery of drugs to the diseased lesions is one
of the most important aspects of drug delivery system.
They have been used in vivo to protect the drug
entity in the systemic circulation, restrict access of the
drug to the chosen sites and to deliver the drug at a
controlled and sustained rate to the site of action. Various
polymers have been used in the formulation of nanoparticles
for drug delivery research to increase therapeutic benefit,
while minimizing side effects. This review presents the most
outstanding contributions in the field of
protein nanoparticles used
as drug delivery systems. Methods of
preparation of protein nanoparticles,
characterization, drug loading, release and their
applications in delivery of drug molecules and therapeutic
genes are considered.
Key
words:
Nanobiotechnology, protein nanoparticles, drug delivery,
release, drug loading, characterization, morphology,
application. |
