Special Issue: "Functionalized Nanomaterials and Structures for Biomedical Applications"

Nanoscale drug formulations are under wider and wider investigation due to their multiple unique advantages, such as stealth properties which avoid opsonization in the blood stream; specific ligand guided drug delivery to injured cells and tissues; on-demand release in sharp response to a series of endogenous and exogenous stimuli, allowing for predetermined programmed delivery to specific loci in the body and possible timing with circadian rhythms; increased cellular uptake due to their small dimensions and the possibility of intracellular delivery of the therapeutic cargo, especially when functionalized with cell penetrating agents; increased stability in biological fluids; augmented bioavailability; and tailored pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics [...].