ADVANCES IN NANOTECHNOLOGY FOR DRUG DELIVERY: TRENDS AND FUTURE PROSPECTS

Debobrata Sharma*

Inadequate solubility, inefficient bioavailability, and off-target effects remain critical obstacles to achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes in many promising new drugs. Nanotechnology, which involves manipulating materials at the 1–100 nm scale, offers strategies to address these barriers by enhancing solubility, stability, and targeted delivery. This review examines developments in nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems, focusing on liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanocrystals, and hybrid platforms. Data were synthesized from peer-reviewed studies reporting pharmacokinetic improvements, targeting efficiency, and therapeutic outcomes across various disease models. Quantitatively, nanocrystal formulations have demonstrated up to a 4-fold increase in dissolution rate, while targeted nanocarriers have achieved 2–3-fold higher drug accumulation in tumor tissues compared to conventional formulations. In neurological applications, certain lipid nanoparticles have shown delivery efficiencies exceeding 60% across the blood–brain barrier in preclinical studies. Across oncology, infectious disease, cardiovascular, and regenerative medicine, nanotechnology-enabled delivery consistently improved drug bioavailability and therapeutic indices. These findings provide a consolidated quantitative assessment of the current performance of nanotechnology-driven drug delivery systems.