Nanoparticles in therapeutic applications and role of albumin and casein nanoparticles in cancer therapy
Article Category: Review Article
Published Online: Aug 31, 2017
Page range: 3 - 20
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5372/1905-7415.1101.534
Keywords
© 2017 Amrit Rai, Josphine Jenifer, Ravi Theaj Prakash Upputuri
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.
Background
Nanoparticles are widely used for various therapeutic treatments. Proteins have the advantage of being naturally occurring, with relative lack of toxicity and antigenicity, but easy biodegradability and potent ability to bind other compounds. Proteins have been produced in nanoformulations, which have been made by various methods including desolvation and precipitation. Biopolymeric nanoparticles including proteins are used in delivery of genes and drugs, and in tissue engineering. Protein nanoparticulate drug delivery systems are used to treat several diseases because of their high drug-binding capacity, biocompatibility, nutritional value, stability, and potent site-specific action. Among the various proteins, casein and albumin nanoparticles are used widely as nanocarriers for various therapeutic drugs.
Objectives
To review the types of nanoparticles and their role in therapeutic applications, and the important role of casein and albumin nanoparticles in cancer therapy.
Methods
A literature search based on nanoparticles, their types, and their roles in medical applications was conducted using websites including Google Scholar, SpringerLink, ResearchGate, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine’s National Center for Biotechnology Information PubMed database including PubMed Central covering from 2000 to 2016.
Results
Nanoparticles, especially albumin and casein had been found effective drug delivery systems.
Conclusion
Protein based nanoparticles such as albumin and casein nanoparticles are widely used for targeting cancers and can be used as effective vehicles for the delivery of various anticancer drugs.