Nitric oxide-releasing vehicles for biomedical applications

Abstract

Nitric oxide (NO) is involved in several physiological processes, such as the control of vascular tone, the inhibition of platelet aggregation, smooth muscle cell replication, the immune response, and wound healing processes. Several pathologies have been associated with dysfunctions in the endogenous production of NO. Thus, there is great interest in developing NO-releasing drugs and in matrices which are able to stabilize and release NO locally and directly in different tissues. Over the past few years, a very promising strategy for biocompatible NO-delivery systems has emerged based on the use of nanobiotechnology for targeted NO-release for biomedical applications. In this work, the current state-of-the-art approaches to NO-release from nanomeric materials, their preparation, and promising biomedical applications are reviewed. Such materials, comprised of dendrimers, liposomes, metallic and silica nanoparticles, polymeric micro and nanoparticles, semiconductor quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, and nanoporous solid materials exhibit exceptional potential in directly delivering NO in a controlled spatial and temporal manner with superior biocompatibility for pharmacological applications.