Nanocarriers for Drug Delivery: Enhanced Functionality with Surface Modification

Researchers at Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine have made a significant breakthrough in the development of nanocarriers for drug delivery. According to the study, surface modification of nanocarriers with ligands such as sugars, peptides, and small-molecule compounds enhances their functional properties, allowing for targeted delivery of drugs to specific organs, such as the liver. The research team, led by Huiling Zuo, has systematically reviewed various strategies for ligand-modified nanocarriers targeting the liver and their effects on nanocarrier performance.

Key Takeaways:

• Surface modification of nanocarriers with ligands significantly enhances their functional properties for drug delivery.
• Ligand modification is an effective surface functionalisation strategy, using common ligand molecules such as sugars, peptides, and small-molecule compounds.
• Chemical covalent bonding or physical adsorption enables specific targeting of receptors, facilitating selective delivery of drugs.
• The study has examined the potential challenges in current research on hepatic targeting of drugs and the future directions in this field.
• The researchers expect that ligand-modified nanocarriers will play an increasingly important role in the treatment of liver diseases.
• The study has led to the development of novel delivery strategies for drugs targeting liver receptors.

Statistics:

• The research has been peer-reviewed and published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B-biointerfaces in 2025.
• The study was conducted by a team of researchers from Yunnan University of Chinese Medicine, led by Huiling Zuo.
• The research team included Yuhang Jiao, Fengyu Wang, Wenling Chen, and Junzi Wu as co-authors.
• The study has been published in a special issue of the journal, highlighting the importance of ligand-modified nanocarriers for drug delivery.
• Keyword search terms include: Asia, Yunnan, Nanocarriers, Nanotechnology, Emerging Technologies, People's Republic of China.

Sources:

• Colloids and Surfaces B-biointerfaces, 2025;256:115051.