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Updated: Mar 13, 2026

Targeted Plasma Membrane Delivery of a Hydrophobic Cargo Encapsulated in a Liquid Crystal Nanoparticle Carrier
Published on: February 8, 2017
Nanocrystal Based Drug Delivery System: Conventional and Current Scenario
Shreya Thakkar1, Viral Shah1, Manju Misra1
1Department of Pharmaceutics, National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Ahmedabad, India.
Nanocrystals offer a promising solution for enhancing the solubility and bioavailability of poorly soluble drugs. This review explores novel technologies to overcome limitations in nanocrystal formulation and highlights recent patents and applications.
Area of Science:
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
- Materials Science
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Many drug candidates exhibit poor aqueous solubility, limiting their bioavailability.
- Solubility enhancement techniques are crucial for developing effective pharmaceutical formulations.
- Nanocrystals have emerged as a preferred approach for improving drug solubility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review novel technologies for nanocrystal formulation that overcome limitations of traditional methods.
- To highlight recent patents and applications of nanocrystal drug delivery systems.
- To discuss the advantages, targeting strategies, and nanotoxicity aspects of nanocrystals.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature and patents on nanocrystal formulation.
- Analysis of novel technologies for nanocrystal production (bottom-up and top-down).
- Discussion of drug properties, formulation components, and applications.
Main Results:
- Nanocrystal formulations demonstrate potential for solubility enhancement.
- Novel technologies can address limitations of conventional nanocrystal production.
- Recent patents cover manufacturing, components, and diverse applications of nanocrystals.
- Consideration of drug melting point reduction and nanotoxicity is included.
Conclusions:
- Nanocrystal systems show significant potential as drug delivery tools.
- Further research is needed to enhance nanocrystal efficiency for drug delivery and diagnostics.
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