Advantages and disadvantages of targeted delivery MCQs With Answer

Introduction: Targeted delivery is a cornerstone of modern pharmaceutics, focusing on directing drugs to specific cells, tissues, or organs to improve efficacy and reduce systemic toxicity. Key concepts include active targeting (ligand–receptor interactions), passive targeting (EPR effect), controlled release, biodistribution, pharmacokinetics, nanoparticles, liposomes, antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs), and polymeric carriers. Advantages include increased specificity, dose-sparing, reduced side effects, and improved therapeutic index; disadvantages involve complex manufacturing, immunogenicity, off-target uptake, stability challenges, and regulatory hurdles. This concise overview equips B.Pharm students with essential keywords and concepts. Now let’s test your knowledge with 30 MCQs on this topic.

Q1. Which term best describes delivery that relies on enhanced permeability and retention in tumors?

• Active targeting
• Passive targeting
• Receptor-mediated targeting
• Site-specific release

Correct Answer: Passive targeting

Q2. Which of the following is an example of an active targeting ligand used on nanocarriers?

• PEG (polyethylene glycol)
• Folate
• PLGA (poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid))
• Sucrose

Correct Answer: Folate

Q3. What is a primary advantage of targeted drug delivery compared to conventional systemic therapy?

• Higher manufacturing cost
• Increased off-target toxicity
• Improved therapeutic index
• Reduced shelf-life

Correct Answer: Improved therapeutic index

Q4. Which carrier is commonly used for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs and can reduce systemic toxicity?

• Liposomes
• Metal salts
• Simple syrup
• Inorganic glass beads

Correct Answer: Liposomes

Q5. Which of the following is a major disadvantage associated with targeted nanoparticles?

• Reduced immunogenicity
• High scalability and low cost
• Complex manufacturing and regulatory challenges
• Guaranteed tissue penetration

Correct Answer: Complex manufacturing and regulatory challenges

Q6. PEGylation of nanoparticles primarily aims to:

• Increase recognition by the reticuloendothelial system
• Decrease circulation time
• Improve stealth properties and prolong circulation
• Promote rapid aggregation

Correct Answer: Improve stealth properties and prolong circulation

Q7. Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) mainly provide targeted delivery by:

• Releasing drug through pH-independent diffusion
• Using antibodies to bind specific tumor antigens
• Relying on nonspecific EPR effect only
• Increasing systemic clearance

Correct Answer: Using antibodies to bind specific tumor antigens

Q8. Which factor most influences biodistribution of nanoparticle carriers?

• Color of formulation
• Particle size and surface charge
• Manufacturer location
• Container shape

Correct Answer: Particle size and surface charge

Q9. A disadvantage of ligand-mediated targeting is:

• Universal expression of target receptors
• Potential immunogenicity of targeting ligands
• Lower specificity compared with systemic drugs
• Elimination of off-target effects completely

Correct Answer: Potential immunogenicity of targeting ligands

Q10. Controlled release in targeted delivery systems primarily helps to:

• Instantly spike toxic plasma levels
• Maintain therapeutic concentrations over time
• Prevent any drug–target interactions
• Increase dosing frequency

Correct Answer: Maintain therapeutic concentrations over time

Q11. Which assay is commonly used to evaluate cellular uptake of targeted nanoparticles in vitro?

• UV–visible spectroscopy of bulk drug
• Flow cytometry
• Simple pH paper test
• Taste testing

Correct Answer: Flow cytometry

Q12. The term “therapeutic index” refers to:

• The ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose
• The manufacturing cost per dose
• Number of targeting ligands per carrier
• Drug color intensity

Correct Answer: The ratio of toxic dose to therapeutic dose

Q13. Which characteristic of tumors enables passive targeting by nanoparticles?

• Tight endothelial junctions
• Enhanced vascular permeability and poor lymphatic drainage
• Rapid renal clearance of particles
• High density of normal tissue

Correct Answer: Enhanced vascular permeability and poor lymphatic drainage

Q14. Which surface modification can reduce opsonization and uptake by macrophages?

• Surface coating with hydrophobic proteins
• PEGylation
• Increasing positive zeta potential
• Adding free sugars to promote recognition

Correct Answer: PEGylation

Q15. A potential disadvantage of targeted delivery in clinical translation is:

• Simple regulatory pathways
• High batch-to-batch variability and scale-up difficulty
• Guaranteed patient response
• Zero cost of goods

Correct Answer: High batch-to-batch variability and scale-up difficulty

Q16. Which feature improves receptor-mediated endocytosis of targeted carriers?

• Absence of ligand on carrier surface
• Appropriate ligand density and orientation
• Extremely large particle size (>10 μm)
• Highly basic carriers causing denaturation

Correct Answer: Appropriate ligand density and orientation

Q17. Which is a common toxicity concern unique to nano-formulations?

• Enhanced enzymatic digestion in stomach
• Nanoparticle-induced oxidative stress and inflammation
• Reduced API potency only in vitro
• Guaranteed renal excretion without accumulation

Correct Answer: Nanoparticle-induced oxidative stress and inflammation

Q18. Liposomal encapsulation primarily reduces toxicity by:

• Increasing free drug concentration in plasma
• Restricting drug distribution to target or reducing exposure to healthy tissues
• Accelerating metabolic breakdown to inactive forms
• Enhancing taste masking only

Correct Answer: Restricting drug distribution to target or reducing exposure to healthy tissues

Q19. What role does drug release kinetics play in targeted delivery?

• Determines neither efficacy nor safety
• Influences duration of action, local concentration, and side-effect profile
• Only affects color of formulation
• Always leads to immediate drug elimination

Correct Answer: Influences duration of action, local concentration, and side-effect profile

Q20. Which analytical technique is useful for particle size determination of nanocarriers?

• Dynamic light scattering (DLS)
• Thin-layer chromatography without staining
• Basic weight measurement
• Simple visual inspection

Correct Answer: Dynamic light scattering (DLS)

Q21. Which of the following improves tumor penetration of nanocarriers?

• Very large particle size (>500 nm)
• Optimization of size (~50–200 nm) and surface properties
• Strong positive charge causing aggregation
• Absence of any surface modification

Correct Answer: Optimization of size (~50–200 nm) and surface properties

Q22. A key regulatory challenge for targeted delivery systems is:

• Clear, universal standards for all nanomedicines
• Complexity in demonstrating safety, efficacy, and characterization
• No need for clinical trials
• Automatic approval due to novelty

Correct Answer: Complexity in demonstrating safety, efficacy, and characterization

Q23. Which is a benefit of conjugating drugs to antibodies (ADCs) over free drug?

• Increased nonspecific distribution
• Targeted cytotoxic delivery to antigen-expressing cells
• Shorter circulation half-life
• Higher systemic side effects

Correct Answer: Targeted cytotoxic delivery to antigen-expressing cells

Q24. Off-target accumulation of targeted carriers can cause:

• No clinical consequences
• Unintended toxicity in healthy organs
• Guaranteed enhancement of therapeutic effect
• Immediate elimination without effects

Correct Answer: Unintended toxicity in healthy organs

Q25. Which strategy can enhance intracellular drug release once a carrier is endocytosed?

• pH-sensitive linkers that cleave in endosomes
• Using non-cleavable, permanently stable linkers only
• Avoiding any responsive chemistry
• Coating with insoluble metals

Correct Answer: pH-sensitive linkers that cleave in endosomes

Q26. Which is an economic disadvantage of advanced targeted delivery systems?

• Lower R&D costs
• High development and manufacturing costs
• Guaranteed low market price
• No requirement for quality control

Correct Answer: High development and manufacturing costs

Q27. Which physiological barrier is most relevant for delivering drugs to the brain?

• Blood–brain barrier (BBB)
• Gastric mucosal barrier
• Skin stratum corneum only
• Renal glomerular filtration

Correct Answer: Blood–brain barrier (BBB)

Q28. Which modification helps reduce protein corona formation on nanoparticles?

• Adding hydrophobic patches
• Surface functionalization with stealth polymers like PEG
• Increasing roughness to trap proteins
• Coating with sticky sugars

Correct Answer: Surface functionalization with stealth polymers like PEG

Q29. Combining targeted delivery with imaging agents for diagnosis and therapy is called:

• Pharmacovigilance
• Theranostics
• Simple spectroscopy
• Non-specific labeling

Correct Answer: Theranostics

Q30. Which factor is critical to ensure reproducible performance of targeted drug products?

• Ignoring particle characterization
• Robust characterization of size, charge, ligand density, and release profile
• Random variation of formulation parameters
• Absence of stability testing

Correct Answer: Robust characterization of size, charge, ligand density, and release profile

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