Nanocarrier Type | Size Range | Surface Charge | Drug Payload Capacity | Targeting Mechanism | Biodegradability | Description | Novelty | Advantages | Disadvantages | Limitations/Challenges | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Liposomes | 50–200 nm | Neutral | Low–High | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Spherical structures composed of a lipid bilayer enclosing an aqueous core | First-generation nanocarriers for drug delivery, used in clinical practice | Good biocompatibility, low immunogenicity, versatility in drug loading and targeting | Short circulation time, potential drug leakage, lack of tumor specificity | Limited drug payload capacity, challenges in scaling up production, difficulty in achieving controlled drug release in vivo | [13] |
Polymeric nanoparticles | 10–200 nm | Variable | Low–High | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Solid particles made of synthetic or natural polymers | Wide range of materials and formulations, suitable for various administration routes | High drug loading capacity, stable in circulation, tunable surface properties | Potential toxicity, burst release of drug, batch-to-batch variation, difficulty in achieving targeted drug delivery to tumors | Challenges in achieving controlled release, low targeting efficiency, limited biocompatibility of some materials | |
Dendrimers | 1–10 nm | Variable | Low-Moderate | Passive/Active | Non-biodegradable | Branched, highly branched or spherical molecules with defined size and shape | Highly customizable, multivalent surface chemistry, high drug loading capacity | High biotoxicity, low biodegradability, challenges in scaling up production | Limited blood circulation time, potential renal toxicity, difficulty in achieving targeted drug delivery to tumors | Limited targeting efficiency, challenges in achieving controlled release, potential immunogenicity | [15] |
Gold nanoparticles | 1–100 nm | Neutral | Low-Moderate | Passive/Active | Non-biodegradable | Spherical or rod-shaped particles made of gold | Excellent biocompatibility, high surface plasmon resonance effect, stability in biological fluids | Low drug loading capacity, limited tumor penetration, challenges in scaling up production | Potential toxicity, limited targeting efficiency, difficulty in achieving controlled drug release in vivo | Limited biocompatibility of some surface modifications, potential immunogenicity | |
Carbon nanotubes | 1–100 nm | Negative | Low–High | Passive/Active | Non-biodegradable | Hollow cylindrical structures made of carbon atoms | High aspect ratio, high drug loading capacity, potential for multi-functionalization | High toxicity, limited biocompatibility, challenges in achieving controlled release | Limited blood circulation time, potential clearance by the reticuloendothelial system, difficulty in achieving targeted drug delivery to tumors | Potential immunogenicity, difficulty in scaling up production | |
Iron oxide nanoparticles | 5–100 nm | Negative | Low-Moderate | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Magnetic particles made of iron oxide | High targeting specificity, potential for MRI imaging and magnetic hyperthermia | Low drug loading capacity, limited blood circulation time, challenges in achieving controlled release | Potential toxicity, limited tumor penetration, difficulty in scaling up production | Potential immunogenicity, low biocompatibility of some surface modifications | [20] |
Quantum dots | 1–10 nm | Negative | Low-Moderate | Passive/Active | Non-biodegradable | Semiconductor nanocrystals | High brightness, tunable emission spectrum, potential for multiplexed imaging | High toxicity, potential for heavy metal leaching, challenges in achieving targeted drug delivery | Limited blood circulation time, potential clearance by the reticuloendothelial system, difficulty in scaling up production | Potential immunogenicity, limited tumor specificity | [21] |
Silica nanoparticles | 10–500 nm | Negative | Low–High | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Solid particles made of silica | High drug loading capacity, good stability, tunable surface properties | Potential toxicity, limited blood circulation time, difficulty in achieving targeted drug delivery to tumors | Limited biocompatibility, challenges in achieving controlled release | Potential immunogenicity, limited tumor specificity | [22] |
Mesoporous silica nanoparticles | 20–200 nm | Negative | Low–High | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Porous particles made of silica | High surface area, high drug loading capacity, tunable pore size and surface chemistry | Potential toxicity, limited blood circulation time, difficulty in achieving controlled drug release in vivo | Limited biocompatibility, challenges in achieving targeted drug delivery to tumors | Potential immunogenicity, limited tumor specificity | [23] |
Lipid-nucleic acid nanoparticles | 50–200 nm | Neutral | Low-Moderate | Active | Biodegradable | Nanoparticles made of lipids and nucleic acids | Suitable for nucleic acid delivery, good biocompatibility, low toxicity | Limited drug loading capacity, potential instability, challenges in achieving efficient delivery | Potential immunogenicity, limited blood circulation time | Limited targeting efficiency, difficulty in scaling up production | |
Protein nanoparticles | 2–200 nm | Variable | Low-Moderate | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Nanoparticles made of proteins or peptides | Good biocompatibility, low toxicity, potential for targeted delivery | Limited drug loading capacity, challenges in achieving efficient drug release in vivo | Potential immunogenicity, limited stability, limited blood circulation time | Limited targeting efficiency, difficulty in scaling up production | |
Inorganic–organic hybrid nanoparticles | 10–200 nm | Variable | Low–High | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Nanoparticles made of a combination of inorganic and organic components | Highly customizable, multifunctional, high drug loading capacity | Potential toxicity, limited blood circulation time, challenges in achieving controlled drug release in vivo | Limited biocompatibility, difficulty in achieving efficient targeting | Potential immunogenicity, limited tumor specificity | [28] |
Metal–organic frameworks | 10–500 nm | Variable | Low–High | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Porous crystalline materials made of metal ions and organic ligands | Highly customizable, tunable pore size and surface chemistry, high drug loading capacity | Potential toxicity, limited blood circulation time, challenges in achieving efficient targeting | Limited biocompatibility, potential for drug leakage, limited stability | Potential immunogenicity, limited tumor specificity | [29] |
Exosomes | 30–150 nm | Negative | Low-Moderate | Active | Biodegradable | Small extracellular vesicles derived from cells | High biocompatibility, potential for targeted delivery, natural carriers of biological cargoes | Limited drug loading capacity, challenges in achieving efficient targeting, potential for premature drug release | Limited blood circulation time, difficulty in scaling up production | Limited targeting efficiency, potential for immune system recognition | [30] |
Bacterial nanoparticles | 10–300 nm | Negative | Low-Moderate | Active | Biodegradable | Nanoparticles produced by bacteria | High biocompatibility, potential for targeted delivery, easy to produce | Limited drug loading capacity, potential for immunogenicity, limited control over drug release | Limited blood circulation time, difficulty in achieving efficient targeting | Limited targeting efficiency, potential for clearance by the immune system | [31] |
Polymeric micelles | 10–100 nm | Variable | Low-Moderate | Passive/Active | Biodegradable | Spherical particles made of block copolymers | High drug loading capacity, good stability, easy to produce | Limited blood circulation time, challenges in achieving efficient targeting, potential for premature drug release | Limited biocompatibility, difficulty in achieving controlled release | Potential immunogenicity, limited tumor specificity | [32] |