Nanotechnology in drug delivery and tissue engineering: from discovery to applications

Abstract

The application of nanotechnology in medicine, referred to as nanomedicine, is offering numerous exciting possibilities in healthcare. Herein, we discuss two important aspects of nanomedicine, drug delivery and tissue engineering, highlighting the advances we have recently experienced, the challenges we are currently facing, and what we are likely to witness in the near future.

Figure 1

Timeline of nanotechnology-based drug delivery. Here, we highlight some nanoscale delivery systems that serve as important milestones throughout the history of drug delivery.

Figure 2

Schematic of fabricated nanotopographic features used to guide cell behaviors via cell-nanotopography interactions.

Figure 3

Nanotechnology applications in engineering complex tissues. Cells seeded into biocompatible and nanostructured scaffolds are able to reassemble into functional structures that resemble native tissues, under the stimulation of growth factors spatiotemporally delivered by nanoparticles. Complex tissues, like this lobule of the liver, could be engineered with the help of devices that are equipped with nanotechnology.