Nanoparticles/nanoplatform to carry and deliver the drug molecules to the target site

Nanoparticles have become a major player in pharmaceutical research and drug design. By encapsulation of a drug into a nanostructure, its stability can be preserved, its solubility can be enhanced, and its pharmacokinetic profile can be boosted as well. In addition, using a drug carrier can open the doors to different drug targeting strategies that improve the specificity of the drug and reduce toxicity and side effects accordingly. Many nanoparticles’ preparation methods exist, the most abundant are emulsion-based, precipitation-based, and polymerization-based methods. However, these particle types and delivery methods do not provide optimal delivery. Drug targeting strategies using passive approach must also be taken into consideration. In this chapter, the most abundant preparation methods will be discussed and examples for different kinds of nanoparticles will be given. Furthermore, the widely studied targeting strategies that are of paramount importance to drug delivery will be explained.