Advanced Particle Systems Engineering: Organ-Targeted Drug Delivery

This report delves into the application of advanced particle systems, specifically nanoparticles, in the field of nanomedicine for organ-targeted drug delivery. It highlights the significance of quantum dots and graphene quantum dots in enhancing drug delivery efficiency, including their role in diagnostic imaging and localized therapy. The report discusses the background and significance of nanoparticle utilization, the diverse roles of quantum dots, and their potential in various applications such as brain cell protein trafficking and controlled drug release in cancer cells. The limitations and safety concerns associated with this technology, such as potential surface defects and toxicity issues, are also addressed. The report concludes by emphasizing the need for further research to mitigate these limitations and optimize the use of nanoparticles in targeted drug delivery systems.

Running head: ADVANCED PARTICLE SYSTEMS ENGINEERING
Advanced Particle Systems Engineering
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Executive summary
The report involves the discussion of the wide scale nanoparticle utilization in the nanomedicine
technology. This technology is helpful in the early detection of life threatening diseases that aid
in the holistic treatment of these diseases. Targeted drug delivery is one of the widely used
diverse applications that encompass imaging and organ-targeted drug delivery. In this
application, quantum dots render longer circulation time targeting selected tissues in the
physiological system for the attainment of localized therapy. Similarly, grapheme quantum dots
are also being used for drug release in pancreatic cancer cells. However, this technology has
certain limitations as it might cause conjugations with other molecules making drug delivery
difficult as its size increases and therefore, mitigation strategies and safety concerns are required.

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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................2
Background and Significance..........................................................................................................2
Role of Quantum Dots nanoparticles in organ-targeted drug delivery............................................3
Limitations and Safety concerns......................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................6
References........................................................................................................................................7

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Topic: Particles for organ-targeted drug delivery
Introduction
Concomitant with the advancement in science and technology, a plethora of changes have
occurred in terms of the application of certain particles in varied domains. The medical and
pharmaceutical industry has witnessed rigorous modifications in terms of wide scale utilization
of particles in nanometer (10-9 m) range termed as nanoparticles. In the nanomedicine field,
nanoparticles application has gained prominence recently and offers hope in the detection,
diagnosis and treatment for various diseases. It has offered hope in the early detection of certain
life threatening diseases thereby aiding in subsequent treatments for providing holistic remedy to
the situation. Targeted drug delivery is also a possibility amongst the diverse application
encompassing diagnostic imaging and differentiation. Large surface-to-mass ratio in addition to
increased surface modification sites that renders it with improved drug or bioactive delivery
efficiency makes these nanoparticles suitable for targeted drug delivery and is ever expanding
(Lin, 2015).
Background and Significance
Technological breakthrough has widened the horizon for the application of nanoparticles
in the medical and pharmaceutical sector. Types of nanoparticles such as polymer, liposome,
micelles, silica, metallic particles, and carbon materials all have diverse applications in the
medicine and pharmaceutical sectors. High encapsulation of drug or bioactive molecules apart
from shielding negative charge of cargo and targeting delivery through ligand-receptor
interaction accounts for the improved efficiency in drug delivery. In this respect, mention may be
made about the quantum dots that have been found to exert their impacts in nanoparticle based

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drug delivery system that holds the potential for the enhancement of existing drugs efficacy and
paves the way for novel therapies development. Beneficial effects of quantum dots have been
evident in mitigation of drug toxicity, improvement of bioavailability, and increase in circulation
times. Further, release of controlled drug and its targeting has also been achieved through
nanoparticle based drug delivery through use of quantum dots. Additional therapeutic benefits
area attained through utilization of properties related to phtothermal therapy and magneto-
transfection (Probst et al., 2013). It has been seen that quantum dots acts by means of generating
energy in the form of photon of light where the variation in colors occur depending on the energy
levels. Recent research has showed that development of biodegradable polymeric vesicles as a
mean of nanocarrier system for the purpose of multimodal bio imaging as well as anticancer drug
delivery have paved the way for treating life-threatening conditions. An emulsion-evaporation
method was utilized in a research study for the encapsulation of inorganic imaging agents
comprising of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanaoparticles, busulfan anticancer drug, zinc
sulfide quantum dots that is manganese doped into the polymeric compound of PLGA vesicles.
In vitro investigation of PLGA vesicle demonstrated its drug delivery capacity through release of
busulfan (Ye et al., 2014). Thus, the quantum dots cellular uptake mechanism consisting of three
key stages involving endocytosis, sequestration in early endosomes and ultimately traslocation
into later endosomes or lysososmes may be held responsible for accentuating the organ targeted
drug delivery in case of nanotechnology.
Role of Quantum Dots nanoparticles in organ-targeted drug delivery
The diverse roles of the nanoparticles have been reported across various literatures owing
to the varied properties each of them possess. Pertinent study has laid focus on elucidating the
functioning of brain due to negatively charged structures of proteoglycans and

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sialoglycoconjugates. In this effort, the quantum dots have garnered much attention. The results
confirmed that quantum dots have immense potential of acting as vehicle for trafficking proteins
into the cells in the brain. Neuronal uptake of green fluorescent protein (GFP) through
administration of a histidine-tagged green fluorescent protein to the hppocampal sites affirmed
this observation (Walters et al., 2015). Further, the wide range application of quantum dots may
also be witnessed through the light of the carbon quantum dots usability. Research has provided
empirical evidences in favor of the diverse array of applications concerning the carbon quantum
dots in fields of biosensing, bioimaging, nanomedicine and others. In nanomedicine, the drug
delivery system is of significance and carbon quantum dots play vital roles in generating holistic
results. Controlled drug release in addition to function as drug carriers and fluorescent tracers are
the potential functions of carbon quantum dots. This was backed by evidence received from
study in which it was shown that carbon quantum dots when loaded with anticancer drug named
doxorubicin was capable of controlling the release of the drug in HeLa cells. Further, it was
observed that carbon quantum dots functionalized with polyethylene glycol (PEG) oligomers
accounted for rendering longer circulation time in the physiological systems prior to targeting of
the selected tissues in attaining localized therapy (Lim, Shen & Gao, 2015). Again, relevant
study has brought to the forefront that grapheme quantum dots when conjugated with albumin
nanoparticles lead to enhancement in the bioavailability as well as sustained drug release
property in case of in vitro pancreatic cancer cells. Improved efficacy of the drug delivery
system was also noted for the bioimaging technique as an effective vehicle for drug delivery
(Nigam et al., 2014). Simultaneous drug delivery targeting alongside cellular imaging has been
highlighted in study concerning the folic acid targeted Mn:ZnS quantum dots that revealed
promising effects in terms of theranostic applications. Heightened capacity of binding affinity

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and internalization of the nano carrier towards the overexpressed folate receptor cells was noted
through chitosan encapsulated quantum dots functionalization with folic acid (Bwatanglang et
al., 2016). Thus, the nanoparticles accounted for giving the quantum dots unique functional
abilities that in turn facilitated the organ targeted drug delivery.
Limitations and Safety concerns
The multitude of benefits associated with quantum dots based nanoparticles has lead to
the widespread application of it in the context of medicine and pharmaceutical sectors. However,
unlike any other technological interventions, quantum dots have their own potential limitations.
There remains possibility of having surface defects for quantum dots that in turn might influence
the recombination of electrons. As a result blinking might take place in case of the quantum dots
and causing deterioration of the quantum yield of the dots. Moreover, conjugation of quantum
dots with other molecules makes it difficult for drug delivery due to increase in size of the
particle thereby impeding the biological functions of the quantum dots (Karakoti et al., 2015).
Thus, the drug targeting function of these particles may be impaired to some extent.
Safety concerns in relation to the use of quantum dots have been a vital issue. Toxicity
associated with quantum dots has been alarming as the coatings may be cytotoxic as ut might be
damaging to cells. Moreover, it has been cited in study that in case the core of quantum dots are
compromised, it might pose threats of toxicity due to the metallic core itself or because of the
dissolution of the core. Undesirable changes might set in because of erosion of the shell.
Metabolism and degradation within the cell because of quantum dots remains unraveled, while
other studies have confirmed its accumulation within the spleen, liver and kidney
(Hofmann-Amtenbrink, M., Grainger, D. W., & Hofmann, 2015).

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Conclusion
Despite the limitations and safety concerns, the potential benefits and advantages linked
to nanoparticles such as that of quantum dots cannot be denied and offer scope for future
exploration. Investigations must be carried out focusing on the detailed mechanisms that govern
the Quantum Dots application in organ-targeted drug delivery. Efforts must be streamlined to
mitigate the limitations and safety concerns as much as practicable.

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References
Bwatanglang, I. B., Mohammad, F., Yusof, N. A., Abdullah, J., Hussein, M. Z., Alitheen, N. B.,
& Abu, N. (2016). Folic acid targeted Mn: ZnS quantum dots for theranostic applications
of cancer cell imaging and therapy. International journal of nanomedicine, 11, 413.
Hofmann-Amtenbrink, M., Grainger, D. W., & Hofmann, H. (2015). Nanoparticles in medicine:
current challenges facing inorganic nanoparticle toxicity assessments and
standardizations. Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine, 11(7), 1689-
1694.
Karakoti, A. S., Shukla, R., Shanker, R., & Singh, S. (2015). Surface functionalization of
quantum dots for biological applications. Advances in colloid and interface science, 215,
28-45.
Lim, S. Y., Shen, W., & Gao, Z. (2015). Carbon quantum dots and their applications. Chemical
Society Reviews, 44(1), 362-381.
Lin, W. (2015). Introduction: nanoparticles in medicine.
Nigam, P., Waghmode, S., Louis, M., Wangnoo, S., Chavan, P., & Sarkar, D. (2014). Graphene
quantum dots conjugated albumin nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery and imaging of
pancreatic cancer. Journal of Materials Chemistry B, 2(21), 3190-3195.
Probst, C. E., Zrazhevskiy, P., Bagalkot, V., & Gao, X. (2013). Quantum dots as a platform for
nanoparticle drug delivery vehicle design. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 65(5), 703-
718.

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Walters, R., Medintz, I. L., Delehanty, J. B., Stewart, M. H., Susumu, K., Huston, A. L., ... &
Dawson, G. (2015). The role of negative charge in the delivery of quantum dots to
neurons. ASN neuro, 7(4), 1759091415592389.
Ye, F., Barrefelt, Å., Asem, H., Abedi-Valugerdi, M., El-Serafi, I., Saghafian, M., ... & Hassan,
M. (2014). Biodegradable polymeric vesicles containing magnetic nanoparticles,
quantum dots and anticancer drugs for drug delivery and imaging. Biomaterials, 35(12),
3885-3894.