DRUG-DELIVERY NANO-SYSTEMS FOR MEDICAL

DRUG-DELIVERY NANO-SYSTEMS FOR MEDICAL APPLICATIONS Prof.Dr. Rodica-Mariana Ion 1,2 1

ICECHIM, Bucharest, 060021,Romania Valahia University, Targoviste, 130024, Romania

2

Cancer nanotechnology is an interdisciplinary research, cutting across the disciplines of biology, chemistry, engineering, physics & medicine with superior effects to traditional methods: surgery, radiation treatments, chemotherapeutic agents and hormonal treatments [1]. The application of nanotechnology has been considered a new and useful tool that can be applied to anticancer photodynamic therapy (PDT) to bring new perspectives for the application of this therapy to different types of diseases. Also, the incorporation of photosensitizers (PSs) in nanostructured drug delivery systems, such as polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs), hydrogels, liposomes, and capsules is a potential strategy for medical applications. These nano-systems have the ability to explain and to modify each of the critical steps of PDT, particularly photosensitizer design and delivery, location of the photodynamic reaction, offering a greater insight into mechanisms of action: photosensitizer application, light activation and singlet oxygen generation for good outcomes [2]. The aim of this paper is to review nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems for photodynamic therapy of cancer, with some tested natural/synthetic drugs and eloquent therapeutic examples in medicine. References: 1.M. Ion, Photodynamic Nanomedicine Strategies in Cancer Therapy and Drug Delivery, Advances in Bioengineering, Pier Andrea Serra (Ed.), InTech, (2015), pp.253-287. 2.Ion R.M., et al., Oxidative stress effects of fullerene-porphyrin derivatives in photodynamic therapy, Porph.Phthal. 16 (7-8), (2012) pp. 870-877. Acknowledgments: This paper was supported by a grant of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNDI-UEFISCDI, project number PN III 120BG/2016.