Targeted Drug Delivery — From Magic Bullet to Nanomedicine: Principles, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

• Main Authors: Tewabe A, Abate A, Tamrie M, Seyfu A, Abdela Siraj E
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Dove Medical Press 2021-07-01
• Series: Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
• Subjects: targeting; polymers; nanoparticles; carriers; nanosomes
• Online Access: https://www.dovepress.com/targeted-drug-delivery--from-magic-bullet-to-nanomedicine-principles-c-peer-reviewed-fulltext-article-JMDH

Ashagrachew Tewabe,1 Atlaw Abate,2 Manaye Tamrie,3 Abyou Seyfu,3 Ebrahim Abdela Siraj1 1Department of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia; 2Ethiopian Food and Drug Authority (EFDA), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 3Department of Pharmaceutics and Social Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Mizan-Tepi University, Mizan-Aman, EthiopiaCorrespondence: Ashagrachew TewabeDepartment of Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, PO Box 79, Bahir Dar, EthiopiaTel [phone]Email [e-mail]: Nanomedicine is an advanced version of Paul Ehrlich’s “magic bullet” concept. Targeted drug delivery is a system of specifying the drug moiety directly into its targeted body area (organ, cellular, and subcellular level of specific tissue) to overcome the aspecific toxic effect of conventional drug delivery, thereby reducing the amount of drug required for therapeutic efficacy. To achieve this objective, the magic bullet concept was developed and pushed scientists to investigate for more than a century, leading to the envisioning of different nanometer-sized devices — today’s nanomedicine. Different carrier systems are being used and investigated, which include colloidal (vesicular and multiparticulate) carriers, polymers, and cellular/subcellular systems. This review addresses the need for and advantages of targeting, with its basic principles, strategies, and carrier systems. Recent advances, challenges, and future perspectives are also highlighted.Keywords: targeting, polymers, nanoparticles, carriers, nanosomes