Polymeric nanoparticles: revolutionizing oral insulin delivery for enhanced diabetes management

抄録

The effective oral administration of insulin has the potential to transform diabetes management by improving the quality of life for patients who depend on frequent insulin injections. However, oral insulin delivery faces significant obstacles, including degradation by gastrointestinal enzymes, variable pH environments, and physical barriers such as the mucus and epithelial layers, which result in oral bioavailability as low as ≤2%. To address these challenges, numerous strategies have been explored, with polymeric nanoparticles (PNPs) emerging as a promising approach for enhancing insulin bioavailability via oral routes. This review focuses on the applications of PNPs in oral insulin delivery, emphasizing their potential for overcoming physiological barriers and ensuring controlled and sustained insulin release. It highlights the mechanisms through which PNPs facilitate insulin protection, transport, and release in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as their ability to target specific absorption sites. The review also discusses recent advancements in the design and functionalization of PNPs, such as surface modifications, stimuli-responsive properties, and incorporation of absorption enhancers to improve bioavailability and therapeutic outcomes. Despite promising progress, challenges such as large-scale production, stability during storage, and variability in patient response remain. Furthermore, regulatory and safety considerations must be addressed to accelerate clinical translation. This review serves as a comprehensive guide for researchers aiming to develop advanced PNP-based oral insulin delivery systems. By bridging existing knowledge gaps, it provides a foundation for future innovations that could revolutionize the treatment paradigm for diabetes.