Design, synthesis, and functionalization of nanomaterials for therapeutic drug delivery.

Nanomaterials have the potential to solve some of the toughest challenges facing modern medicine. Their unique optical, magnetic and chemical properties at the nanoscale make them different from their macroscale counterparts. Successful application of nanomaterials can revolutionize therapeutics, diagnostics and imaging in several biomedical applications. Self-assembled amphiphilic polymeric nanoparticles have been employed to carry poorly soluble chemotherapeutic drugs. Loading of anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs into self assembled polymeric nanoparticles have shown to increase their circulation time, tumor localization and therapeutic potential. This book chapter provides an introductory discussion to organic nanotechnologies for drug delivery. Promising advances in the field of nanomedicine will be discussed and an outlook to the future will be provided.