Acute or chronic pain is a major source of impairment in quality of life and affects a substantial part of the population. To date, pain is alleviated by a limited range of treatments with significant toxicity, increased risk of misuse and inconsistent efficacy, owing, in part, to lack of specificity and/or unfavorable pharmacokinetic properties. Thanks to the unique properties of nanoscaled drug carriers, nanomedicine may enhance drug biodistribution and targeting, thus contributing to improved bioavailability and lower off-target toxicity. After a brief overview of the current situation and the main critical issues regarding pain alleviation, this review will examine the most advanced approaches using nanomedicine of each drug class, from the preclinical stage to approved nanomedicines.

急性或慢性疼痛是生活质量受损的主要来源，并影响到很大一部分人口。迄今为止，由于缺乏特异性和/或不利的药代动力学特性，有限范围的治疗可减轻疼痛，这些治疗具有显着毒性、误用风险增加和疗效不一致。由于纳米级药物载体的独特特性，纳米药物可以增强药物的生物分布和靶向性，从而有助于提高生物利用度和降低脱靶毒性。在简要概述当前情况和缓解疼痛的主要关键问题后，本次审查将研究使用每个药物类别的纳米药物的最先进方法，从临床前阶段到批准的纳米药物。