European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

A REVIEW ON BUCKY BALLS: A NOVEL CARRIER FOR DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEM

Ayesha Siddiqua* and Sumaiya Fatima

ABSTRACT

Nanotechnology deals with the study, development and practical application of structures and devices at molecular scale (between 1 and 100 nanometres, one nanometre is equivalent to 1 in 10-9 meters. Nanotechnology employs devices with dimensions of one to 1,000 nanometres. At these sizes it is no wonder that scientists have seized upon nanotechnology for myriad medical applications. Fullerenes are Nano molecular carbon cages that can serve as platforms for the delivery of drugs and imaging agents. Buckyballs represent a new and fascinating molecular allotropic form of carbon that has received a lot of attention by the chemical community during the last two decades. There are several functional modes in which fullerenes can act as drug delivery nanomaterials. With the development of new drugs, there have been many attempts to explore innovative delivery routes. Targeted delivery systems are a desired solution designed to overcome the deficiency of routine methods. To transform this idea into reality, a wide range of nanoparticles has been proposed and studied. These nanoparticles should interact well with biological environments and pass through cell membranes to deliver therapeutic molecules. One of the pioneer classes of carbon-based nanoparticles for targeted delivery is the fullerenes. Fullerenes have a unique structure and possess suitable properties for interaction with the cellular environment. This short review concentrates on newly developed fullerene derivatives and their potential as advanced delivery systems for pharmaceutical applications.

Keywords: Buckyballs, C60, fullerenes, nanotechnology.