Therapeutic applications and potential biological barriers of nano-delivery systems in common gastrointestinal disorders: a comprehensive review

In the last 2 decades, nanomedicine has gained enormous attention due to its promising potential in various biomedical applications such as targeted drug delivery, molecular imaging, biomarker mapping, and diagnosis. Owing to their low toxicity, and longer half-life, several nano-delivery systems such as nanoparticles, lipid carriers, dendrimers, liposomes, and micelles have been developed with unique functions and properties. With benefits such as size variability, good drug loading capacity, stable interactions, and binding with both hydrophobic and hydrophilic substances, nano-delivery systems are designed to overcome problems that are associated with conventional therapies. In the context of gastrointestinal disorders, nano-drug delivery systems are effective in improving drug efficacy, bioavailability, and sustained drug release with minimal side effects. Despite all these technological advancements, nano-delivery systems encounter potential biological barriers in the form of enzymatic degradation, pH variability, and other barriers that hinder the smooth operations of the delivery process. Targeted delivery to specific receptors, passive accumulation of nanoparticles, and pH-sensitive drug release systems are the counter strategies that researchers have been using. This overview explores the role of nano-delivery systems in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders, focusing on their therapeutic applications and the biological barriers that may limit their efficacy. Additionally, it summarizes the current research landscape and discusses the future prospects for advancing nano-delivery technologies in the management of gastrointestinal diseases.