NANOCARRIERS IN TARGETED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS: CURRENT STATUS AND FUTURE ASPECTS

Targeted drug delivery systems have emerged as a promising approach to improve therapeutic efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. Nanocarriers play a crucial role in this advancement by enabling site-specific delivery, controlled drug release, and enhanced bioavailability of pharmaceutical agents. Various nanocarrier systems such as liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, dendrimers, polymeric micelles, and inorganic nanoparticles have been extensively investigated for targeted drug delivery applications. These nanoscale systems offer advantages including improved drug stability, prolonged circulation time, enhanced cellular uptake, and the ability to deliver both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs. Surface modification of nanocarriers with ligands such as antibodies, peptides, or polymers further enhances targeting efficiency by facilitating receptor-mediated uptake at specific disease sites. Nanocarrier-based drug delivery has shown significant potential in the treatment of cancer, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, and chronic conditions. Despite remarkable progress, challenges such as large-scale production, long-term toxicity, regulatory approval, and clinical translation remain to be addressed. This review highlights the classification, mechanism of targeting, advantages, recent advancements, and future prospects of nanocarrier-based targeted drug delivery systems. Continued research and technological advancements are expected to overcome existing limitations and establish nanocarriers as a cornerstone of next-generation pharmaceutical therapies.