Inorganic nanoparticles for oral drug delivery: opportunities, barriers, and future perspectives

Oral delivery is the preferred route of drug administration due to patient compliance and convenience. Despite this, nanomedicines have so far primarily been developed for the parenteral route. Inorganic nanoparticles hold great promise as theranostics for oral drug delivery. This is gaining importance especially for the local treatment of gastrointestinal (GI) diseases. However, successful oral delivery of inorganic nanoparticles is challenged by complex physiological conditions in the GI tract. We discuss the main GI barriers and their impact on nanoparticle biotransformation and toxicity. An improved understanding of the complex interplay of inorganic nanoparticles with the dynamic GI environment can facilitate the development of efficient oral nanomedicines.

Automated summary

Oral drug delivery is the preferred route due to patient compliance and convenience, but nanomedicine for this route is mainly under development for gastrointestinal diseases. Inorganic nanoparticles show promise for oral drug delivery, but they face challenges in the complex physiological conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. Understanding the interaction between inorganic nanoparticles and the dynamic gastrointestinal environment can aid in the development of efficient oral nanomedicine.