Fate of Nanoparticles

Gaining insight into the process that ingested nanoparticles/nanodrugs is crucial to maximize therapeutic advantages and avoid side effects. In the process of drug development, it is critical to consider how nanodrugs are ingested, how they interact with body fluids, how particles are absorbed by cells, and how they are eliminated to achieve effective treatments. In addition, consideration of the toxicity of the ingested nanoparticles is of utmost significance. Hence the fate of ingested nanoparticles within the body will be covered in this chapter, including ingestion, endocytosis, exocytosis, and lastly the toxicity of the ingested NPs in vivo and in vitro. Initially, the chapter will brief about how the ingested nanoparticles undergo interactions with proteins in body fluids to form a protein corona and then will discuss comprehensively the different endocytic routes. Then the nanoparticle’s excretion from cells which is essential for preserving homeostasis and receptor function will be discussed. Finally, the toxicity such as DNA damage, protein damage, cell membrane damage, oxidative stress, inflammation, impaired protein synthesis, deregulated cellular functions, and neurotoxicity of some commonly used nanoparticles will be outlined.