Nanotechnology in Drug Delivery

A collection of vocabulary flashcards detailing the mechanisms, components, and applications of nanotechnology in drug delivery systems based on the lecture notes.

Drug Delivery

The process of controlling the time and dose of drug release to achieve a therapeutic effect.

Intravenous Route

A drug administration route involving injection directly into a vein.

Metabolism

The chemical transformation of a drug, occurring mainly in the liver.

First-pass Metabolism

A process that mainly affects oral drugs where the drug concentration is reduced before reaching systemic circulation.

Bioavailability

The portion of a drug that reaches the bloodstream and is available for a therapeutic effect.

Nanoparticle Solubility Improvement

The process of improving drug solubility by increasing the surface area of the drug particles.

Targeted Drug Delivery

A method aimed at delivering medication to a specific site in the body to reduce side effects and toxicity.

Passive Targeting

A delivery mechanism that depends on natural body conditions and the EPR effect without specific binding.

EPR Effect

Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect, which is a key mechanism in passive targeting.

Active Targeting

A precision delivery method using ligands or antibodies to achieve specific binding, often described as a lock and key mechanism.

Liposomes

Nanocarriers composed of a phospholipid bilayer that can carry both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs.

Carbon Nanotubes

Nanostructures derived from graphene used in drug delivery applications.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLN)

Nanocarriers featuring a solid lipid core that are more stable than liposomes and provide controlled release.

Controlled Release

A feature of nanotechnology that maintains stable drug levels and reduces the need for frequent dosing.

Smart Drug Release

An application where drug release is triggered by specific environmental stimuli such as $pH$ or temperature.

Blood-Brain Barrier (BBB) crossing

The ability of certain nanotechnology applications to deliver drugs across biological membranes into the brain.

Photothermal Therapy

A nanotechnological application used in treatments such as cancer therapy involving light and heat.