Biomedical Evaluation and Toxicity of Polymeric Nanomedicines

On 17 January 2007, the European Group of Ethics (EGE) issued a draft report that recognized the potential of nanomedicine in terms of developing new diagnostics and therapies (http://ec.europa.eu/european _group_ethics/activities /ethics_en.htm). The group proposes that measures be established to verify the safety of nanomedical products and devices, and calls on the relevant authorities to carry out a proper assessment of the risks and safety of nanomedicine. This chapter deals with toxicological aspects of various nanoparticles such as polymer-drug conjugates, carbon nanotubes, quantum dots, dendrimers and other various nanostructures. The nanoparticle-biological organism interactions and immunological risk of the nanoparticles are also examined in this chapter.

Keywords: Polymeric nanoparticles, nanomedicines, hydroxyapatite, carbon nanotubes, phagocytosis, quantum dots, polymeric nanomedicines, biocompatibility, HPMA, drug delivery systems, pluronic, chitosan, nanomaterials, polymer-drug conjugates, doxorubicin.