Main description:

Nanoscience or the science of the very small offers the pharmaceutical scientist a wealth of opportunities. By fabricating at the nanoscale, it is possible to exert unprecedented control on drug activity. This textbook will showcase a variety of nanosystems working from their design and construction to their application in the field of drug delivery. The book is intended for graduate students in drug delivery, physical and polymer chemistry, and applied pharmaceutical sciences courses that involve fundamental nanoscience.

The purpose of the text is to present physicochemical and biomedical properties of synthetic polymers with an emphasis on their application in polymer therapeutics i.e., pharmaceutical nanosystems, drug delivery and biological performance. There are two main objectives of this text. The first is to provide advanced graduate students with knowledge of the principles of nanosystems and polymer science including synthesis, structure, and characterization of solution and solid state properties. The second is to describe the fundamentals of therapeutic applications of polymers in drug delivery, targeting, response modifiers as well as regulatory issues.

The courses, often listed as Advanced Drug Delivery and Applied Pharmaceutics; Polymer Therapeutics; or Nanomedicine, are designed as an overview of the field specifically for graduate students in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Programs. However, the course content may also be of interest for graduate students in related biomedical research programs.

These courses generally include a discussion of the major principles of polymer science and fundamental concepts of application of polymers as modern therapeutics. All courses are moving away from the above mentioned course names and going by 'pharmaceutical nanoscience or nanosystems'. This area of research and technology development has attracted tremendous attention during the last two decades and it is expected that it will continue to grow in importance. However, the area is just emerging and courses are limited but they are offered.

Contents:

1. IntroductionIjeoma Uchegbu

Part 1 - Nanomaterials Fabrication, Characterisation and UseThese chapters will focus on the fabrication and characterisation of the various nanomaterials. Each chapter will address the following headings: Materials Chemistry, Nanoparticle Synthesis, Nanoparticle Physical Characterisation, and Application of Nanoparticles.

2. Low Molecular Weight MicellesIjeoma Uchegbu

3. LiposomesMarcel Bally

4. NiosomesMaria Carafa

5. Solid Lipid NanoparticlesEliana B. Souto, Joana F. Fangueiro, Rainer H. Muller

6. NanoemulsionsMaria de La Fuente

7. Polymer Drug ConjugatesFrancesca Greco

8. PolymersomesDennis Discher

9. Polymeric NanoparticlesIjeoma Uchegbu

10. Porous Silicon NanoparticlesHelder Almeida Santos

11. Drug Nanocrystals Leena Peltonen

Part 2 - Concepts Underpinning the Application of Biomedical NanomaterialsThese chapters will focus on the concepts underpinning the application of nanomaterials to various biomedical areas and will outline the key advantages that nanomaterials are able to offer pharmaceuticals and diagnostics, with appropriate examples. Chapter headings will be: Clinical need, technologies, preclinical proof of concept, clinical experience.

12. Biological Barriers: Transdermal, Oral, Mucosal, Blood Brain Barrier and the Blood Eye BarrierAndreas Schatzlein

13. Active targetingAikaterini Lalatsa

14. Drug Solubilisation (WPC)Woei Ping Cheng

Part 3 - Therapeutic and Diagnostic ApplicationsThese chapters will focus on the therapeutics that have emerged from the nanomaterials and an exploitation of the concepts outlined in Part 2 and will include the clinical experience wherever possible. Apart from the last chapter - chapter headings will be as follows: disease pathology, conventional therapies, nano-enabled therapies, pre-clinical proof of concept, clinical experience.

15. Cancer Chemotherapy (IFU)Hiroshi Maeda

16. VaccinesYvonne Perrie

17. AntiinfectivesSteve Brocchini

18. Gene and SiRNA TherapyIjeoma F. Uchegbu

19. Peptides, Proteins and AntibodiesAikaterini Lalatsa

20. ImagingAndreas G. Schatzlein

21. Commercial Exploitation of Pharmaceutical NanotechnologyGregor Cevc