Haemocompatibility of Nanosized Drug Delivery Systems: Has It Been Adequately Considered?

Although drug delivery applications are considered as one of the most promising between the potential applications of nanotechnology in pharmaceutics, the biocompatibility and haemocompatibility of such particulate drug carriers has not been adequately considered, in a way to establish a specific line of required tests that will be common between different laboratories and thus comparable. In this review we: (1) Present an overview of what is being currently done, how (methodologies and techniques used)and at which extent, and (2) Pose the question of the possible methodologies and tests that should be used for testing nanosized DDS, before considering their potential use in therapeutics. Furthermore, the points that have been considered so far by regulatory agencies about the biocompatibility of nanoparticles (in general) are summarized.