AN OVERVIEW OF SILVER NANOPARTICLES

Nanotechnology refers to the branch of science and engineering dedicated to materials, having dimensions in the order of 100th of nm or less. Cancer in general is a disease which is characterized by the uncontrolled growth and multiplication of cancerous cells. conventional cancer chemotherapy has the therapeutic agents that distribute non-specifically in different tissues of the human body, thus affecting both cancerous as well as normal cells. This non-specific distribution of drugs to normal cells, tissues, and organs causes excessive toxicities; and thereby causing numerous adverse drug reactions including alopecia, weakness, organ dysfunction causing poor quality of life for cancer patients. The pharmaceutical sciences are using nanoparticles to decrease the toxicity and side effects of drugs. Nanoparticles used in the field of biotechnology range in particle size between 10 and 500 nm, seldom exceeding 700 nm. The nanosize of these particles allows various communications with biomolecules on the cell surfaces and within the cells in way that can be decoded and designated to various biochemical and physiochemical properties of these cell. Nanotechnology has emerged as an exciting strategy in the drug development process and among the different nanoparticles; silver nanoparticles were explored for its various medical applications.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, Nanoparticles, Silver nanoparticles