Nanoengineered Polymer Capsules: Tools for Detection, Controlled Delivery, and Site-Specific Manipulation

The interdisciplinary field of nanobiotechnology merges a number of disciplines. One aim is the discovery of new drugs and their delivery systems, as for example to build up multifunctional capsules as intelligent drug carriers: once injected somewhere into the bloodstream the capsules would find their target, repair or kill the damaged cells, report the diagnostics, and leave the site without any further damage. It seems that such promises could only be a subject for science fiction but in fact it is becoming a realistic project, which, of course, still requires a wide range of innovations. On the experimental side much progress has been achieved in the fabrication and engineering of nano- and microcarriers and their subsequent functionalization. The next step is to combine different functions into one carrier, thus providing new types of delivery systems. This would allow for more efficient drug transport by guiding the carriers to designated types of cells or tissues. Furthermore, such carriers could also monitor the pH conditions or the temperature and, upon external triggering, start a chemical reaction at a predefined site. Specifically designed and encapsulated materials and surfaces would contribute to improved specificity and allow a reduction in total drug concentration with fewer side-effects. Such systems would provide a tool for the controlled delivery of drugs to cells or specific parts of tissue. In other areas, for instance in implantology and tissue engineering, carrier systems are of interest due to the possibility of the slow release of drugs to support healing and integration. © 2024 by Jenny Stanford Publishing Pte. Ltd.