Advances in particle shape engineering for improved drug delivery
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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Synthesis of Functionalized 10-nm Polymer-coated Gold Particles for Endothelium Targeting and Drug Delivery
Published on: January 15, 2018
Yiwei Yang1, Di Nie1, Yuan Liu2
1Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 501 Haike Road, Shanghai 201203, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19A Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049, China.
Abstract:
Spherical particles such as liposomes and microspheres are the most common and extensively applied drug vehicles. However, researchers have come to realize the superiority of nonspherical nanoparticles. Actually, in human bodies red blood cells, gut biotics and many well-known pathogens have distinct shapes. It can be reasonably inferred that particle shape plays a pivotal part in human bodies. In this review, we summarize the recent studies about the effect of shape on delivery processes such as cellular uptake, tissue penetration and biodistribution. The underlying mechanisms that are relevant to the phenomena revealed, owing to experimental and computational modern techniques, will be addressed, and we shall provide future perspectives on particle design to improve the efficacy of drug delivery.
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