Colon targeted drug delivery systems: Based on Polymers

Abstract

Research on colon-targeted polymers delivery systems is ongoing for conditions such ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, colon cancer, as well as the delivery of peptide or protein medications and vaccines. For colon-specific disorders in particular, focused nano-drug delivery to the colon is helpful because nanoparticles can build up in sick areas, improve therapeutic efficacies, and allow localized therapies, which lower systemic toxicity. The efficient delivery of NDDS to the colon, however, may be hampered by a number of obstacles, including burst drug release, enzyme and acidic degradation of drug and carrier in the stomach, pH fluctuations, mucus trapping, and systemic uptake in the upper small intestine. These obstacles might be surmounted with improvements in NDDS, resulting in effective drug delivery for colon-specific illnesses. This review provides an updated summary of recent advances in the development of orally administered NDDS for colon targeting and the future advancements in this research. It also discusses some potential colon-specific drug delivery areas, challenges faced by colon-targeted oral delivery systems, and potential drug delivery areas.