Nanomedicine for Ischemic Diseases: Recent Development and Future Challenges

Ischemic diseases (CAD: coronary artery disease; CID: cerebral ischemic disease; PAD: peripheral artery disease and few others) are life-threatening problems and have become the most common cause of death worldwide. The conventional approaches (surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, etc.) available in the market for the treatment and diagnosis of these diseases are associated with several limitations, including non-specificity to the targeted site, adverse effects to the surrounding normal tissues, systemic toxicity, high treatment cost, unavailability of facilities, etc. These situations have compelled the scientists to turn their heads toward the use of new technology in therapeutic and diagnosis of different ischemic diseases. Hence, emergence of nanotechnology has seen its utility in theranostic applications for ischemic diseases. In this book chapter, we aim to give an overview of the types and pathophysiology of ischemic diseases and ischemic reperfusion injury. Furthermore, in the upcoming sections, we have made detailed discussions about the treatment and diagnosis of ischemic diseases with the help of nanoparticle through active as well passive drug targeting. We have also concisely explained the current trends involved in the use of nanoparticle in the overall recovery of ischemic diseases. Finally, we have highlighted the challenges as well as the future perspectives of the potential use of the nanomedicine in the field of ischemic diseases.