Stimuli-responsive core-shell nanoparticles

The use of nanoparticulate pharmaceutical drug delivery systems to enhance the in vivo effectiveness of drugs is now well established. The development of multifunctional and stimulus-responsive nanoparticles (NPs) is an active area of current research. Such nanosystems can have long circulation times, target the site of the disease, and enhance the intracellular delivery of a drug. The core shell NPs combine the advantages of a magnetic core and the stimuli-responsive property of the thermosensitive biodegradable polymer shell (e.g., an on-off mechanism responsive to external temperature change). They can also respond to local stimuli that are characteristic of the pathological site by, for example, releasing an entrapped drug or shedding a protective coating, thus facilitating the interaction between drug-loaded nanocarriers and target cells or tissues. In addition, imaging contrast moieties can be attached to these carriers to track their real-time biodistribution and accumulation in target cells or tissues. In this chapter, we highlight recent developments with multifunctional and stimuli-sensitive core-shell NP and their therapeutic potential for diseases including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and infectious diseases.