Combination Drug Delivery Using Nanocarriers

Abstract

Combination drug delivery using nanocarriers is an emerging approach designed to improve the efficacy and safety of drug therapy. In many diseases, especially cancer and infectious disorders, the use of more than one drug is required to achieve better therapeutic effects. However, different drugs may have different solubility, stability, absorption, and distribution properties, making their combined delivery challenging. Nanocarriers provide an effective platform for overcoming these limitations by carrying two or more drugs within the same delivery system and releasing them at the desired sites. Various nanocarriers, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, lipid nanoparticles, micelles, dendrimers, nanogels, and hybrid systems, have been investigated for combination therapies. These systems can improve drug solubility, protect drugs from premature degradation, enhance cellular uptake, and provide controlled or sustained drug release. Targeting strategies can further increase drug accumulation in diseased tissues and reduce unwanted exposure to healthy ones. An important advantage of combination nanocarriers is their ability to maintain a suitable ratio of different drugs, which may enhance synergistic activity and reduce drug resistance. Despite these benefits, several challenges remain, including formulation stability, drug compatibility, reproducible drug loading, toxicity, large-scale manufacturing, and regulatory approvals. Recent advances in nanotechnology and biomaterials have provided new opportunities for developing safer and more effective combination delivery systems. This chapter discusses the basic concepts, major types of nanocarriers, formulation approaches, mechanisms of drug co-delivery, therapeutic applications, current challenges, and future prospects of combination drug delivery using nanocarriers.