Evaluation of the potential of nanoparticles containing active substances in selected chronic diseases

Currently, over 80% of all deaths result from the incidence of chronic diseases. The challenge of modern medicine is to develop innovative and effective methods of diagnosis and therapy of these disorders. Different types of particles can be obtained with the use of nanotechnology, including nanoliposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN), nanospheres, dendrimers, as well as carbon nanotubes (CNT) or fullerenes. All of these nanoparticles (NPs) are suggested to have potential, both in medicine and in diagnosis of many diseases, giving a chance for recovery or longer life for the patients. The studies concerning the usage of NPs show their effective role in most cases. However, there are also concerns about their toxicity or long-term adverse effects. The aim of this literature review was to discuss the results of the latest available studies concerning the efficacy of selected drug-loaded nanocarriers in several chronic diseases, i.e., cardiac disorders, cancer, Alzheimer's disease (AD), Parkinson's disease (PD), and wound healing. We also focused our attention on the methodology of NPs preparation, materials used for their preparation as well as on positive and negative aspects of these nanocarriers.