Engineering nanoparticles to overcome immunological barriers for enhanced drug delivery

Nanotechnology has recently gained traction in the medical field as a method of targeted delivery and timed release of therapeutic drugs. As interest in this field grows, design considerations of the selected nanotechnology and extensive knowledge of the human immune system are necessary to design an effective system for drug delivery. Suppression and control of an immune response has become an achievable outcome to ensure efficient treatment of target tissues through careful selection of materials and immune antagonists. This review outlines the immune system, the challenges created by its inherent functions, biocompatible materials that are presently being used to construct nanoparticles, and molecules and techniques used to manipulate the immune response to nanoparticles.