Lipid-Based Nanocarriers and Applications in Medicine

Recent Progress in Pharmaceutical Nanobiotechnology: A Medical Perspective, Habibe Yılmaz, Editör, Bentham Books, Sharjah, ss.25-56, 2023

Lipid nanocarriers have recently arisen with a wide range of uses and

research areas, with the advantages they offer in virtue of their unique properties. They

are easily synthesized, scaled up, biodegradable, proper to transport many bioactive

components, have a high loading capacity, and are convenient for various routes of

administration (parenteral, oral, dermal, ocular, etc.). These carriers overcome the

problems of bioactive substances such as low solubility, plasma half-life and

bioavailability, and side effects, as well as providing controlled release, local delivery,

and targeting. Lipid-based nanoparticular systems can be categorized into two basic

classes, vesicular and non-vesicular. While liposomes are the most widely used

vesicular structures, solid lipid nanoparticles and nano-structured lipid carriers are nonvesicular

nanocarriers. These nanocarriers have many medical uses, such as cancer

therapy, gene therapy, photodynamic therapy, treatment of infectious diseases and

neurodegenerative diseases, vaccines, imaging, etc. It is essential that the synthesis

method of lipid-based nanocarriers and the components from which they are composed

are selected in accordance with the medical application area and characterization

studies are carried out. In this article, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured

lipid carriers will be discussed as lipid-based nanocarriers, synthesis and

characterization methods will be emphasized and examples from medical applications

will be given.