Injectable Nanosystems and Inherent Nanoparticulate-Serum Interactions

Abstract

The development of nanoparticulate systems has been shown to be highly effective in the advancement of pharmaceutical drug delivery technology. The use of these systems, however, has been shown to have significant physical and chemical effects on blood constituents, especially when delivered via intravenous injection. These effects have been shown to impact not only the individual blood constituents and their physiological roles but also the efficacy of the nanoparticulate formulation as well. Numerous studies have therefore focused on the impacts of nanoparticulate delivery on blood and have detailed the modifications undertaken to ensure hemocompatibility. This chapter will therefore focus on the interactions between nanoparticulate delivery systems and blood constituents upon delivery, the effect of these interactions and the newer research that has been performed to overcome the known issues of nanoparticle blood compatibility.