Layered double hydroxide nanoparticles for biomedical applications: Current status and recent prospects

Layered double hydroxides (LDH), also known as hydrotalcite like compounds are well known for their peculiar characteristics like good biocompatibility, anion exchange capacity, high chemical stability and pH-dependent solubility which aid for the design of smart drug delivery systems. This review focuses on the most recent progress in the synthesis of LDH along with the current methods for controlling the structural properties and chemical functionalization for biotechnological and biomedical applications. The recent research on the pathways of particle entry into the cells is described. One of the promising areas of interest in nanotechnology is the development of targeted drug delivery systems with controlled release properties; the contribution of LDH towards these topics is also summarized. In addition, we highlighted the significant achievements made in the delivery of genes and imageable agents using LDH. Further we briefly conferred the latest breakthroughs in the fabrication of hybrid LDH for obtaining novel properties followed by the applications of LDH in various fields of biomedicine. We critically discuss burning questions especially related to the toxicological evaluation of LDH nanoparticles in order to enable a fast transition to clinical trials of this promising drug delivery platform.