Nanoparticle drug delivery systems can help address formulation challenges such as poor solubility, payload instability, rapid clearance, and limited control over drug release. Particle composition, size, structure, and surface chemistry can be designed around the payload, route of administration, desired release profile, and biological environment.
Different nanoparticle platforms provide different capabilities. Mesoporous silica offers high internal surface area and tunable pores, biodegradable polymers such as PLGA enable controlled release, and inorganic nanoparticles can add optical, magnetic, or imaging functionality.
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How Nanoparticles Support Drug Delivery
Nanoparticle design can address different formulation and delivery objectives depending on the payload and intended application:
- Payload formulation & protection: Encapsulation or adsorption can help formulate challenging compounds and protect sensitive payloads from their surrounding environment.
- Controlled release: Particle composition, structure, and degradation behavior can influence how quickly a payload becomes available.
- Surface functionality: Polymers, ligands, proteins, peptides, and other surface modifications can influence colloidal stability, biological interactions, and molecular recognition strategies.
- Additional functionality: Optical, magnetic, or responsive components can support imaging, tracking, photothermal effects, or triggered-release concepts.
Choosing a Nanoparticle Platform
The most appropriate platform depends on the payload, delivery route, desired release profile, biological environment, and any additional functionality required from the particle.
| Platform | Useful Characteristics | Key Design Variables |
|---|---|---|
| Mesoporous Silica | High internal surface area, tunable pores, versatile surface chemistry | Pore size, particle size, surface charge, functionalization |
| PLGA & Polymers | Biodegradable matrix, payload encapsulation, controlled release | Polymer molecular weight, LA:GA ratio, end group, particle size |
| Gold & Inorganic Particles | Optical, photothermal, magnetic, imaging, or theranostic functionality | Composition, particle size, shape, surface chemistry |
Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) offer high internal surface area and tunable pore structures that can accommodate payloads ranging from small molecules to larger biomolecules. Pore size, particle diameter, and surface chemistry can be adjusted to influence loading, release, and compatibility with the payload.
Different pore architectures can support different loading requirements, while surface modification can introduce charge, functional groups, targeting ligands, or responsive chemistries. Silica can also serve as a shell around another nanoparticle core to combine payload delivery with optical, magnetic, or analytical functionality.
PLGA & Polymeric Particles
PLGA particles provide a biodegradable polymer matrix for payload encapsulation and controlled release. Release behavior can be tuned through polymer molecular weight, lactic acid:glycolic acid ratio, end-group chemistry, particle size, and formulation conditions.
PLGA formulations can be developed for a range of payload types, with loading efficiency, encapsulation efficiency, stability, and release kinetics optimized around the specific active and intended application.
Gold & Functional Inorganic Nanoparticles
Gold and other inorganic nanoparticles are particularly useful when drug delivery needs to be combined with optical, magnetic, or imaging functionality. Gold nanoparticle geometry can be engineered to provide strong absorption at selected wavelengths, supporting research into photothermal approaches and light-responsive delivery systems.
Surface modification can also support attachment of payloads, polymers, or biomolecules for multifunctional particle and theranostic designs.
Surface Chemistry & Functionalization
Surface chemistry influences colloidal stability, interactions with the surrounding biological environment, and the ability to attach targeting or functional molecules. The appropriate strategy depends on the nanoparticle platform and intended application.
| Surface Strategy | Role in Drug Delivery |
|---|---|
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PEG and other polymers modify colloidal stability and nonspecific interactions and can provide functional handles for further modification. |
  
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Antibodies, proteins & peptides support molecular recognition and targeting strategies through attachment of biologically active ligands. |
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Nucleic acids can serve as therapeutic payloads or functional molecules attached to or encapsulated within compatible nanoparticle systems. |
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Fluorophores & imaging agents enable particle tracking, visualization, or other imaging functions when incorporated into an appropriate particle design. |
Example Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Strategies
Controlled Release with PLGA
Polymer composition and formulation conditions can be adjusted to tailor payload encapsulation, particle properties, degradation, and release behavior.
Pore-Mediated Delivery with Mesoporous Silica
Pore geometry and surface chemistry can be selected around payload dimensions, loading requirements, and desired release characteristics.
Light-Responsive Systems with Gold
Plasmonic nanoparticles can convert absorbed light into heat, enabling research into photothermal treatment and thermally triggered release strategies.
Developing a nanoparticle formulation?
Talk with our technical team about nanoparticle platform selection, loading, surface chemistry, characterization, and scale-up for your application.
Selected Literature
- Mitchell, M. J. et al. “Engineering precision nanoparticles for drug delivery.” Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 20, 101–124 (2021).
- Janjua, T. I. et al. “Clinical translation of silica nanoparticles.” Nature Reviews Materials, 6, 1072–1074 (2021).
- Vallet-Regí, M.; Rámila, A.; del Real, R. P.; Pérez-Pariente, J. “A New Property of MCM-41: Drug Delivery System.” Chemistry of Materials, 13(2), 308–311 (2001).
- Danhier, F. et al. “PLGA-based nanoparticles: An overview of biomedical applications.” Journal of Controlled Release, 161(2), 505–522 (2012).
- Tao, Y. et al. “Light: A Magical Tool for Controlled Drug Delivery.” Advanced Functional Materials, 30(49), 2005029 (2020).
- Liu, J. et al. “Gold Nanorods Coated with Mesoporous Silica Shell as Drug Delivery System for Remote Near Infrared Light-Activated Release and Potential Phototherapy.” Small, 11(19), 2323–2332 (2015).