Review on Testosterone Delivery by Natural and Synthetic Nanoparticles

Natural and synthetic polymers are widely used as drug delivery tools in pharmaceutical and nanomedicine biotechnology [1-5]. Among synthetic polymers, dendrimers, a family of cationic polymers, are promising nonviral vectors for gene and drug delivery because of a well-defined molecular shape, controlled chemical structure, high water solubility, large number of chemically versatile surface groups, and unique architecture [6-8]. Natural cationic polymers such as chitosan are attractive candidates for therapeutic applications as they generally are nontoxic, being derived from renewable resources [9]. Biodegradable, biocompatible and nontoxic chitosan nanoparticles are of a major interest in drug delivery systems. They form complexes with antibiotics, anticancer drugs and therapeutic proteins [1012]. Chitosan and its derivatives have the desired properties for safe use as pharmaceutical drug delivery tools. This has prompted accelerated research activities worldwide on chitosan nanoparticles as drug delivery tools [13-16].