Mass transport of nanocarriers

The journey of a nanoparticle from the site of entry to the site of action is filled with abundant sequential and concomitant obstacles, or barriers, designed to protect the host from foreign invaders. One of the major focuses of nanomedicine researchers is optimization of particle properties to achieve selective delivery of nano-based therapeutics to targeted lesions. One approach to bypassing these barriers is to transform the barriers into targets that can be manipulated to enhance selective delivery to the site of action. This book describes barriers from the macro to the nanoscale, starting with endothelial and mucosal barriers, and ending with cellular organelles. Experimental approaches to track nanoparticles in vitro and in vivo are presented, as well as the ability to tailor-make nanoparticles for specific functions. Several model types of nanoparticles are presented, as well the impact of particle attributes on biological transport.