Calcium carbonate vaterite particles for drug delivery: Advances and challenges

The recent successful application of lipid-based nanoparticles as delivery vehicles in COVID-19 vaccines demonstrated the superior potential of nanoparticle-based technology for targeted drug delivery in biomedicine. Among novel, rapidly advancing delivery platforms, the inorganic nano/microparticles gradually reach new heights and attract well-deserved attention among scientists and clinicians. Calcium carbonate in its vaterite form is used as a biocompatible carrier for a progressively increasing number of biomedical applications. Its growing popularity is conferred by beneficial porosity of particles, high mechanical stability, biodegradability under certain physiological conditions, ability to provide a continuous steady release of bioactives, preferential safety profile, and low cost, which make calcium carbonate a suitable entity of highly efficacious formulations for controlled drug delivery and release. The focal point of the current review is the success of the recent vaterite applications in the delivery of various diagnostics and therapeutic drugs. The manuscript highlights the nuances of drug loading in vaterite particles, connecting it with particle morphology, size, and charge of the loaded molecules, payload concentration, mono-or multiple drug loading. The manuscript also depicts recent successful methods of increasing the loading capacity developed for vaterite carriers. In addition, the review de-scribes the various administration routes for vaterite particles with bioactive payloads, which were re -ported in recent years. Special attention is given to the multi-drug-loaded vaterite particles (molecular cocktails) and reports on their successful delivery in vitro and in vivo. (c) 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

The recent success of lipid-based nanoparticles in COVID-19 vaccine delivery highlights the potential of nanoparticle-based technology in targeted drug delivery in biomedicine. Calcium carbonate in its vaterite form is increasingly used as a biocompatible carrier for controlled drug delivery and release due to its porous particles, mechanical stability, biodegradability, sustained release capability, safety profile, and low cost. This review focuses on the recent applications of vaterite particles in the delivery of diagnostics and therapeutic drugs, discussing drug loading factors, methods to increase loading capacity, and administration routes.