Federica Carducci, Bruna Renata Casadei, Paolo Mariani* and Leandro Ramos Souza Barbosa Pages 2364 - 2374 ( 11 )
Starting from the second half of the 1900s, the advent of nanotechnology in medicine has provoked a profound revolution in this area; at present, nanomedicine delivered a remarkably large set of research and clinically useful tools as diagnostic devices, contrast agents, analytical tools, physical therapy applications, and drugdelivery vehicles. Concerning nanoformulations for drug delivery, they are constituted by nanoparticles with dimensions lower than 1 μm, usually characterized by improved pharmacokinetics, taking advantage of specific targeting, and reduced side effects. The contributors to the present chapter are reviewing a range of papers related to the structural characterization of nanoformulations by X-ray diffraction techniques. The whole of the considered papers underlines the essential role that biophysical techniques have acquired as an essential prerequisite to understanding stability, bioavailability, and lipid, biopolymer, and drug organization in nanoformulations.
Lipid nanoparticles, nanoformulations, topical administration, structural characterization, drug delivery systems, X-ray scattering, cubosomes, liquid crystalline phases.
Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Departamento de Fisica Geral, Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo, Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell'Ambiente, Universita Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Departamento de Fisica Geral, Instituto de Fisica, Universidade de São Paulo, Sao Paulo