Nano-Delivery Materials: Review of Development and Application in Drug/Gene Transport

Abstract

As the nanotechnology rapidly develops, the combination of nanotechnology and biotechnology to build nanoparticles with biological functionalization has brought new opportunities for the development and application of biomedical diagnosis. Many new non-viral drug/gene vectors were constructed by using nanoparticles as drug/gene carriers, especially by making conventional inorganic materials into nanoparticles and performing functional modifications. In this paper, the physical and chemical properties, preparation methods and application in drug/gene transport of several nanomaterials including mesoporous silica nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, dendrimers, graphene oxide and carbon nanotubes are reviewed respectively. At the same time, the merit and dismerit of different nanocarriers and their application scenarios are compared. It has been found that the excellent biocompatibility and large specific surface area of inorganic nanomaterials have great potential for drug/gene delivery. Although there are many bottlenecks and challenges for nanomaterials to settle during drug delivery development and industrial production, the improvement of inorganic nanomaterials and the development of new nanocarriers can promote the wider progress of nanocarriers in drug/gene transport.