Preface

The book aims to give full coverage of the topic of cardiovascular nanomedicine, in which nanoparticles of different sizes, shapes, and dimensions can be bioconjugated with antibodies at appropriate ratios to encapsulate cardiovascular drugs, biomolecules, and gaseous molecules to deliver them selectively to the site of action in a safe, targeted, and cost-effective manner. Nanoparticles have received significant attention for storing large amounts of drugs and releasing therapeutically relevant amounts of drugs very selectively in response to external (e.g., light, ultrasound, and magnetic field) or internal (e.g., exposure to water, changes in pH, changes in redox states, and exposure to enzymes) stimuli. Integrating nanoparticles with ‘classical’ drugs to create biocompatible delivery platforms is a current area of research activity to treat cardiovascular diseases; innovations in this area can significantly impact patient welfare. This book seeks to expand our understanding and provide an in-depth and insightful discussion. Traditional drug delivery systems are not selective and targeted and hence induce severe collateral damage to surrounding non-diseased healthy cells/tissues.

Despite the significant interest and the rapid development of cardiovascular drug delivery nanomedicine, there is currently no adequate and accessible book on this topic, which motivated and inspired us to edit this book. The primary motivation is to give mechanistic, preclinical, and clinical insights into cardiovascular nanomedicine. Nanotechnology has mainly been explored and used for cancer and infection; it has not been developed to a similar extent for cardiovascular diseases. Hence, this book will discuss core chemical concepts via the synthesis of novel nanotechnology-based drug formulations and cover the latest drug delivery advances and innovative therapeutic targets in targeting cardiovascular lesions at an early, curable, and reversible stage. Such an approach can lead to a more targeted, safe, and cost-efficient form of drug development. We focus on the therapeutic applications of drug-carrying nanoparticle-based formulations, particularly emphasizing the chemistry and design of nanomedicines for treating all types of cardiovascular diseases. We aim to cover practical research studies on the mechanisms of action of nanomedicines and their interaction with endothelial and cardiac cells. Furthermore, this book covers topics such as novel therapeutic targets in cardiovascular diseases for ultimate drug-delivery therapeutics and the pharmaceutical basics and safety considerations of cardiovascular nanomedicine not described in other books. The book focuses on the general concept, design, and guidelines for preparing (including scale-up) nanomedicines and their interactions with diseased cells. We combine different approaches for utilizing the chemical sciences as a source for cardiovascular science.

We prepared this book to meet the needs and pique the interest of university students and researchers in this sector. We have also taken care to meet the needs of teachers and scientific specialists in this field by carefully consolidating the projected future research and development opportunities. We aimed to meet the needs of the scientific professionals and teachers in this field by carefully consolidating the prospects of research and development that are envisaged in this area. We want to express our gratitude to every contributor who made this book possible. We are grateful to the Royal Society of Chemistry team, Katie Morrey, Amina Headley, and Matt Caffrey, for their unwavering support and helpful input, without whom the book would not have been possible. Finally, we hope you, the reader, will find this book enjoyable and valuable.

Roger J. Narayan and Tanveer A. Tabish