Nanosponge - A Novel Drug Delivery System

Abstract

Nanosponge was originally developed for topical delivery of drugs. They are colloidal carriers have recently been developed and proposed for drug delivery, since their use can solubilize poorly water soluble drug and provide prolonged release as well as improving drugs bioavailability and in some case modifying it's pharmacokinetics parameters. The average diameter of a nanosponge is below 1μm but fractions below 500 nm can be selected, micro sponges are10-25 microns in diameter. They can also decrease side effect and protect drug from degradation. These tiny sponges can circulate around the body until they encounter the specific target site and stick on the surface and begin to release the drug in a controlled and predictable manner. Because the drug can be released at the specific target site instead of circulating throughout the body it will be more effective for a particular given dosage.