am ics . ▁ ▁App lications ▁Nan oph ase ▁cer am ics ▁have ▁unique ▁properties ▁that ▁make ▁them ▁optimal ▁for ▁a ▁variety ▁of ▁applications . ▁ ▁D rug ▁D elivery ▁Material s ▁used ▁in ▁drug ▁delivery ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁ten ▁years ▁have ▁primarily ▁been ▁polym ers . ▁However , ▁nan ote chn ology ▁has ▁opened ▁the ▁door ▁for ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁cer am ics ▁with ▁benefits ▁not ▁previously ▁seen ▁in ▁polym ers . ▁The ▁large ▁surface ▁area ▁to ▁volume ▁ratio ▁of ▁nan oph ase ▁materials ▁makes ▁it ▁possible ▁for ▁large ▁amounts ▁of ▁dru gs ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁over ▁long ▁periods ▁of ▁time . ▁Nan op articles ▁to ▁be ▁filled ▁with ▁dru gs ▁can ▁be ▁easily ▁manip ulated ▁in ▁size ▁and ▁composition ▁to ▁allow ▁for ▁increased ▁end oc yt osis ▁of ▁dru gs ▁into ▁target ed ▁cells ▁and ▁increased ▁disp ersion ▁through ▁fen estr ations ▁in ▁cap ill aries . ▁While ▁these ▁benefits ▁all ▁relate ▁to ▁nan op articles ▁in ▁general ▁( including ▁polym ers ), ▁cer am ics ▁have ▁other , ▁unique ▁ab ilities . ▁Un like ▁polym ers , ▁slow ▁de grad ation ▁of ▁cer am ics ▁allows ▁for ▁longer ▁release ▁of ▁the ▁drug . ▁Pol ym ers ▁also ▁tend ▁to ▁sw ell ▁in ▁liquid ▁which ▁can ▁cause ▁an ▁unw anted ▁burst ▁of ▁dru gs . ▁The ▁lack ▁of ▁sw elling ▁shown ▁by ▁most ▁cer am ics ▁allows ▁for ▁increased ▁control . ▁Cer am ics ▁can ▁also ▁be ▁created ▁to ▁match ▁the ▁chem istry ▁of ▁bi ological ▁cells ▁in ▁the ▁body ▁increasing