Nanotechnology based drug delivery systems: Does shape really matter?

• Published in: International journal of pharmaceutics Vol. 625; p. 122101
• Main Authors: Shah, Saurabh, Famta, Paras, Bagasariya, Deepkumar, Charankumar, Kondasingh, Amulya, Etikala, Kumar Khatri, Dharmendra, Singh Raghuvanshi, Rajeev, Bala Singh, Shashi, Srivastava, Saurabh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 25.09.2022
• Subjects: Biofilm; Blood-brain barrier; Nanoparticle geometry; Pharmacokinetics; Protein corona; Biofilm; Nanoparticle geometry; Blood-brain barrier; Pharmacokinetics; Protein corona
• ISSN: 0378-5173; 1873-3476
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2022.122101

[Display omitted] •Nanoparticle geometry bestows numerous attributes which alter the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic activity of therapeutic moiety.•Methods for fabrication of nanoparticles for different shapes amenable to scale-up with the promising potential of commercialization have been deliberated.•Biopharmaceutical applications of particle geometry in biological barrier traversion, cell internalization, biofilm and protein corona interactions have been conveyed.•Bottlenecks in the current regulatory scenario hindering the bench to bedside translation have been enlightened. As of today, the era of nanomedicine has brought numerous breakthroughs and overcome challenges in the treatment of various disorders. Various factors like size, charge and surface hydrophilicity have garnered significant attention by nanotechnologists. However, more exploration in the field of nanoparticle shape and geometry, one of the basic physical phenomenon is required. Tuning nanoparticle shape and geometry could potentially overcome pitfalls in therapeutics and biomedical fields. Thus, in this article, we unveil the importance of tuning nanoparticle shape selection across the delivery platforms. This article provides an in-depth understanding of nanoparticle shape modulation and advise the researchers on the ideal morphology selection tailored for each implication. We deliberated the importance of nanoparticle shape selection for specific implications with respect to organ targeting, cellular internalization, pharmacokinetics and bio-distribution, protein corona formation as well as RES evasion and tumor targeting. An additional section on the significance of shape transformation, a recently introduced novel avenue with applications in drug delivery was discussed. Furthermore, regulatory concerns towards nanoparticle shape which need to be addressed for harnessing their clinical translation will be explained.