{"title":"Inhaled nanomedicine for lung cancer therapy - will it ever work?","authors":"Cristina O Esteban, Lisa M Kaminskas","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539512","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17425247.2025.2539512","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144692827","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elise J Catlin, Lucía Lopez-Vidal, Ryan F Donnelly, Alejandro J Paredes
{"title":"A dynamic duo comes of age: Nanocrystals and microneedles for hydrophobic drug delivery.","authors":"Elise J Catlin, Lucía Lopez-Vidal, Ryan F Donnelly, Alejandro J Paredes","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2531059","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2531059","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Nanocrystals (NCs) combined with microneedles (MNs) represent an emerging drug delivery platform with significant potential to overcome challenges in the administration of poorly-water soluble drugs. This next generation delivery approach increases the surface area and dissolution rate of drugs <i>via</i> the production of NCs, overcoming the skin barrier in a minimally invasive manner, afforded by the MN technology.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This focused review summarizes the research from the past eight years on the development of NC-loaded MN systems. It discusses the formulation strategies, characterization, and therapeutic benefits reported in the literature, highlighting controlled dissolution and sustained release capabilities. The review also addresses critical challenges related to clinical translation, such as validation of therapeutic efficacy and broadening clinical applications.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>NC - MN systems have shown promise in self-administered and long-acting therapies. Yet, stability issues, manufacturing reproducibility, and regulatory uncertainty still remain barriers to translation. Progress in scalable manufacturing and regulatory engagement is encouraging, but robust <i>in vivo</i> data and standardized characterization are needed. Continued interdisciplinary work and collaboration across academia, industry, and regulatory agencies will be vital to realize the clinical potential of this platform.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1-18"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585961","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Blake A Richards, Logan P Yeager, Millicent O Sullivan, Wilfred Chen
{"title":"Leveraging endogenous MMPs for drug delivery in the cancer environment.","authors":"Blake A Richards, Logan P Yeager, Millicent O Sullivan, Wilfred Chen","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2531064","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2531064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of proteolytic enzymes with long-established clinical relevance in cancer therapeutics and diagnostics. Their elevated activity in the tumor microenvironment is associated with key pathological processes such as metastasis, angiogenesis, and cancer cell invasion.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review highlights recent developments in the design of MMP-responsive drug delivery systems that leverage the aberrant proteolytic activity of MMPs for targeted and spatiotemporally controlled drug delivery. Key strategies include the use of MMP-cleavable hydrogels, responsive nanoparticles, and various prodrug designs. While MMPs have historically been pursued as therapeutic targets, their physiological role has complicated this approach and led to little success. Instead, recent efforts have reframed MMP activity as a trigger for site-specific drug activation, offering improved precision in cancer treatment. The review also discusses current challenges and the translational progress of these delivery systems.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Exploiting MMP dysregulation in the tumor environment represents a logical next step in cancer treatment. Drug delivery systems that achieve MMP-responsive activation while reducing off-target effects and enhancing drug retention, circulation, or uptake are key to practical translation. Clinical realization of MMP-responsive delivery systems requires further refinement in protease selectivity, stability, and integration of other stimuli-responsive designs.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144568175","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recent developments with pH-responsive lyotropic liquid crystalline lipid nanoparticles for targeted bioactive agent delivery.","authors":"Natinael Koyra, Haitao Yu, Calum J Drummond, Jiali Zhai, Brendan Dyett","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2518225","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2518225","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Lyotropic liquid crystalline lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) are a platform technology with broad-ranging potential in bioactive agent delivery applications. Their biomimetic properties impart the capacity to encapsulate large biomolecules and to overcome biological barriers.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>The properties of lyotropic liquid crystalline LNPs can vary significantly between phases. We briefly introduce key concepts related to their formation and self-assembly and how ionization at the lipid-water interface, i.e. pH-responsiveness, can be leveraged to alter the properties of the nanoparticles. In this review, we summarize recent advances that highlight the role and impact of incorporating ionizable lipids, copolymers, and drug molecules in pH-responsive nanocarriers for the delivery of bioactive agents.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>The development of pH-responsive lipid nanoparticles (pR_LNPs) is at the forefront of the new wave of mRNA therapeutics. The complexity of the biological journey faced by the nanoparticle and the broad spectrum of disease targets is sparking a surge in research activity. The accelerating development of new ionizable lipid materials to enhance mRNA delivery potential may benefit from closer consideration - or in tandem development - of self-assembly, interface ionization, and artificial intelligence integration.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1-22"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144259679","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"3D printed hollow microneedles: the latest innovation in drug delivery.","authors":"Mahmood Razzaghi, Mohsen Akbari","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2531062","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/17425247.2025.2531062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Hollow microneedles (HMNs) offer a minimally invasive and highly efficient method for transdermal drug administration, overcoming the limitations of traditional delivery systems.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review focuses on recent advancements in 3D-printed HMNs, highlighting their transformative potential in drug delivery applications. The integration of cutting-edge 3D printing technologies, such as stereolithography (SLA), digital light processing (DLP), and two-photon polymerization (2PP), has enabled the fabrication of complex, precise, and customizable microneedles (MNs). These innovations facilitate patient-specific applications, enhance drug bioavailability, and provide unparalleled control over dosage and delivery. Advances in biocompatible and biodegradable materials have further improved the safety and functionality of HMNs. Applications range from insulin delivery to biomarker sensing and theranostic systems, showcasing their versatility.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>3D-printed HMNs are set to play an important role in improving personalized medicine and precision healthcare. By addressing fabrication and design issues, and using new materials, these devices are expected to change drug delivery systems and help develop new therapeutic and diagnostic platforms.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144568174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Paola Rogliani, Gian Marco Manzetti, Ilaria De Guido, Carlo di Lorenzo, Luigino Calzetta
{"title":"Triple extrafine fixed-dose combination in asthma: from randomized controlled trials to real-world evidence.","authors":"Paola Rogliani, Gian Marco Manzetti, Ilaria De Guido, Carlo di Lorenzo, Luigino Calzetta","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2527700","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2527700","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Small airway dysfunction affects 50-90% of asthmatic patients, leading to airway remodeling, worsening symptoms, and quality of life. Targeting small airway dysfunction with inhaled extrafine formulations, with a mass median aerodynamic diameter < 2 µm, is crucial. Triple extrafine fixed-dose combination with inhaled corticosteroids (ICS), long-acting β<sub>2</sub>-agonists (LABA), and long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA) been approved for uncontrolled asthma, supported by TRIMARAN and TRIGGER randomized controlled trials (RCT). However, while RCTs offer valuable efficacy and safety data under controlled conditions, findings need to be combined with real-world evidence (RWE).</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This narrative review assessed the impact of triple extrafine fixed-dose combination in asthma, integrating RCTs and RWE findings. Post-hoc analyses of RCTs and preliminary gray literature were also considered.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>RCTs and RWE showed significant overlap in outcomes for triple extrafine fixed-dose combination, although differing in some crucial patient characteristics (e.g. smoking status). Triple extrafine fixed-dose combination might be more effective in patients with persistent airflow limitation by targeting small airway dysfunction. However, further RCTs and RWE are needed to address remaining gaps, such as the determinants of response to medium-strength triple extrafine fixed-dose combination vs. high-strength ICS/LABA and to high-strength triple extrafine fixed-dose combination vs. open triple therapy.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1-19"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144546566","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Agnese Gagliardi, Mireia Del Valle, Socorro Espuelas, Juan M Irache, Donato Cosco
{"title":"Application of zein nanoparticles for the treatment of inflammatory bowel diseases.","authors":"Agnese Gagliardi, Mireia Del Valle, Socorro Espuelas, Juan M Irache, Donato Cosco","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2527693","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2527693","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic gastrointestinal disorders with rising global incidence. Current therapies often suffer from systemic side effects, limited efficacy, and poor patient compliance, particularly with injectable formulations. These limitations underscore the need for innovative oral delivery strategies capable of targeted action in the inflamed intestine.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review provides an in-depth overview of zein nanoparticles as drug delivery systems for IBD. The discussion covers recent studies on zein nanoparticles containing anti-inflammatory compounds, focusing on their behavior in gastrointestinal environment, their ability to overcome biological barriers, and their potential to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Special focus is placed on advanced multistage systems designed to extend mucosal retention time and enhance drug accumulation at inflamed sites.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Zein nanoparticles offer a promising and multifunctional platform for IBD therapy. Beyond their role as carriers, their intrinsic antioxidant properties and ability to stimulate endogenous GLP-1 secretion suggest a dual therapeutic action combining drug delivery with mucosal healing and immune modulation. Clinical translation requires overcoming key barriers, including limited mucus penetration, interpatient variability, and challenges in large-scale production. Continued technological advancements may establish zein nanoparticles as a viable carrier for targeted, effective, and patient-compliant oral therapies in IBD.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144531943","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Melatonin-loaded nanoparticles protecting human sperm from oxidative stress during cryopreservation.","authors":"Haitao Xi, Xue Gao, Lin Qiu, Yunzhi Wang, Yifan Qiu, Zihao Tao, Miyun Hu, Xinyu Jiang, Qing Yao, Longfa Kou, Junzhao Zhao, Ruijie Chen","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2499117","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2499117","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>During the process of sperm cryopreservation, the overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) triggers oxidative stress thereby leading to a reduction in sperm motility and quality. Therefore, it is a feasible strategy to mitigate oxidative damage during cryopreservation by adding antioxidants to freezing media.</p><p><strong>Research design and methods: </strong>In this study, we explored the potential of melatonin to protect sperm from oxidative stress-induced damage by evaluating sperm-related parameters after thawing through self-assembly with a hyaluronic acid-bilirubin conjugate into nanoparticles (M@HBn).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The optimized M@HBn exhibited uniform spherical morphology with average particle size of 112.57 ± 9.8 nm, PDI of 0.22 ± 0.02, a surface potential of - 0.43 ± 1.02 mV and entrapment efficiency of 85.1 ± 4.6%. The addition of 5 μM M@HBn demonstrated a notable enhancement in frozen-thawed human spermatozoa viability, motility, and DNA integrity by scavenging ROS. Additionally, the use of M@HBn supplementation in freezing medium resulted in the most mitochondrial stability and total viability as compared to the other groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings suggest that M@HBn have the potential to serve as a novel drug delivery platform for protecting spermatozoa against from cryodamage while enhancing the quality of cryopreserved sperm and the bioavailability of melatonin.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1043-1055"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144034316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Recent developments in nanofiber-based fast-disintegrating drug delivery systems.","authors":"Fuat Topuz, Tamer Uyar","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2497831","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2497831","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Fast-disintegrating electrospun fibers are emerging as innovative systems for oral drug delivery. These fibers possess a high surface area, porosity, and customizable hydrophilicity, which facilitates quick drug release by disintegrating rapidly in biological fluids or upon contact with water.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>Hydrophilic polymers and cyclodextrins (CDs), either separately or in combination, are frequently utilized to accelerate the disintegration of electrospun fibers, enhance the solubility of hydrophobic drugs, and improve drug bioavailability, leading to better therapeutic outcomes. Toward this goal, a systematic literature search was conducted to identify experimental studies (2019-2025) in Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Scopus using the keywords ('fast-disintegrating' OR 'fast-dissolving') AND ('electrospinning' OR 'electrospun') AND ('delivery' OR 'release').</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>This review examines recent advancements over the past five years in the development of fast-disintegrating drug delivery fibers. It analyzes fiber composition, structural modifications, drug encapsulation routes, and their impact on drug release for oral mucosal delivery. Additionally, it addresses the challenges faced and outlines future directions in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"957-969"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144034400","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Drug-eluting resorbable coronary scaffolds: a review of recent advances.","authors":"Lowie Vanoverbeke, Johan Bennett","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2495043","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2495043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Device-related persistent adverse events with current DES-use have refocused the attention on a 'leave-nothing-behind' philosophy, in which it is hypothesized that treating coronary stenosis without permanently caging the vessel with a metallic implant would lead to superior clinical outcomes. One of these uncaging technologies is bioresorbable scaffolds (BRS).</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>In this article, we describe the technical specifications and clinical data of currently available BRS devices.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Newer BRS devices have thinner struts and more biocompatible scaffold backbones (either polymer-based or metal-based), resulting in improved radial strength, faster resorption times, and more antithrombogenic properties (e.g. magnesium-based scaffolds). Results of BRS in the treatment of simple coronary artery disease demonstrate favorable clinical efficacy and safety outcome data. It is probable that over the next 5 years more fourth-generation devices with ever-increasing biocompatibility and safety profiles will be investigated and released commercially, resulting in a much more prominent role for BRS, especially in the treatment of simple coronary artery disease in younger patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"919-933"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144038910","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}