Design of polymeric and hybrid nanostructures for drug delivery and theranostic applications

Abstract

Nanomedicine attempts to solve some of the main limitations of materials and techniques currently used in clinical practice. To do that, the design and fabrication of the so-called nanoplatforms has been envisaged. These allow the encapsulation, protection and delivery of bioactive molecules but also provide new functionalities thanks to their exceptional properties. This work is focused on the design of biocompatible polymeric nanoparticles to enable the administration of different drugs, single or in combination, for the treatment of common diseases as diabetes, infections or tumors. In addition, several multifunctional hybrid nanoplatforms have been designed for cancer theranostics and combinatorial therapeutics.