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":"1451-1466"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","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}
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":"1509-1526"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","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":"1527-1539"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","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}
Amr Seifelnasr, Xiuhua Si, Jack Yongfeng Zhang, Mary Ziping Luo, Ray Lameng Lei, Jinxiang Xi
{"title":"Improving nasal spray deposition: advances and strategies to overcome anatomical and physiological barriers.","authors":"Amr Seifelnasr, Xiuhua Si, Jack Yongfeng Zhang, Mary Ziping Luo, Ray Lameng Lei, Jinxiang Xi","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2568086","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2568086","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Nasal sprays offer a versatile, noninvasive delivery route for topical, systemic, immunological, and nose-to-brain therapies, yet effective targeting is limited by nasal anatomical complexity and physiological constraints.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>The literature related suboptimal intranasal spray deposition to nasal valve constriction, convoluted nasal passages, mucociliary clearance, and vast geometrical variability. This review examined recent strategies that enhanced dosimetry realism and improved target delivery: (1) including mucus coating and nasal cycle effects, (2) optimizing delivery protocols such as the spray angle, head position, and dosing regimen, (3) engineering device features to improve targeting, and (4) tailoring formulation properties like the viscosity and surface tension to support liquid film translocation. Experimental findings highlighting protocol-driven improvements in spray targeting to the nasopharynx and olfactory region are also discussed.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>The effectiveness of nasal sprays hinges on their ability to deliver medication beyond the anterior nasal cavity to the intended target sites. Achieving this requires not only optimized spray dynamics and device design, but also the strategic use of liquid film translocation following initial deposition. Advances in physiologically realistic models and anatomically guided protocols will be key to unlocking the full therapeutic potential of nasal spray technologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145188158","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":"Engineering polycaprolactone nanowires for pharmacologic efficacy.","authors":"Marwa A Sallam, Tejal A Desai, Michael Koval","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539957","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539957","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1445-1450"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710384","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}
Feng Gao, Antonia Rujia Sun, Xinzhan Mao, Ganesh R Kokil, Ross Crawford, Tushar Kumeria, Indira Prasadam
{"title":"Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles-based drug delivery systems for osteoarthritis therapy: the application and potential translation into clinical therapy.","authors":"Feng Gao, Antonia Rujia Sun, Xinzhan Mao, Ganesh R Kokil, Ross Crawford, Tushar Kumeria, Indira Prasadam","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539963","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539963","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent degenerative joint disease, affecting millions worldwide and imposing a huge medical burden. Traditional OA treatments focused on symptom relief rather than delaying disease progression. Due to the anatomical structure and physiological characteristics of the joint, systemic and intra-articular drug administration face limitations. Recently, cell membrane-coated nanoparticles have emerged as a promising strategy for OA treatment. By leveraging the intrinsic characteristics of cell membranes, these engineered nanoparticles enhance drug retention, immune evasion, and targeted efficacy.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review summarizes the current research on different cell membrane-coated nanoparticles used in OA treatment, presenting the development of cell membrane-coated nanoparticles drug delivery system to target joint.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Cell membrane-coated nanoparticles, which improve the delivery performance and shortcomings of traditional nanoparticles, provide a novel insight into OA drug delivery strategy. They offer tremendous potential in addressing the challenges associated with traditional drug delivery. However, it is still important to assess their safety, interaction with the system of OA, final metabolism, and optimization before their translation to clinics. While challenges remain, the unique ability of cell membrane-coated nanoparticles to evade immune clearance and target inflamed joint tissues offers real hope for developing more effective and precise OA therapies.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1549-1564"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144746636","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}
Uxia Gato-Diaz, Angel Concheiro, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez
{"title":"4D printed hydrogels for precision delivery of bioactive molecules in cancer.","authors":"Uxia Gato-Diaz, Angel Concheiro, Carmen Alvarez-Lorenzo, Barbara Blanco-Fernandez","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539959","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539959","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Cancer remains a global challenge, driving the need for improved therapies and delivery systems. The customizable and controllable nature of 4D-printed, stimuli-responsive hydrogels underscores their potential in this context. By engineering these hydrogels to respond to specific tumor-associated stimuli, therapeutic efficacy can be enhanced while minimizing side effects, advancing the goals of precision oncology.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>This review examines the types of stimuli used to design stimuli-sensitive hydrogels and their activation mechanisms. It summarizes recent advancements in 4D-printed, stimuli-responsive hydrogels for cancer treatment, assessing their potential, development stage, and limitations. The review also explores future directions, emphasizing the promise of 4D cancer models for drug screening due to their enhanced physiological complexity. Literature was sourced from CAS SciFinder, PubMed, and Google Scholar, focusing on studies from the past 10 years.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>4D hydrogels offer a novel approach to personalized cancer therapy but are still in the early stages of development. Continued research into innovative stimuli-responsive polymers with suitable rheological properties for 3D printing is essential. Among emerging strategies, NIR-responsive 4D hydrogels, especially when combined with temperature-responsive systems, appear the most advanced and promising. Ongoing studies are vital to establish their role in precision oncology and translational medicine.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1565-1581"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144755497","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":"1467-1485"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","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}
{"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":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539512","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1441-1444"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","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}
Gregory Reychler, Nicolas Audag, Pierre Cnockaert, François Jamar, Etienne Danse, Valérie Hox
{"title":"Nasal irrigation for drug delivery in adults.","authors":"Gregory Reychler, Nicolas Audag, Pierre Cnockaert, François Jamar, Etienne Danse, Valérie Hox","doi":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539958","DOIUrl":"10.1080/17425247.2025.2539958","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Nasal irrigations are a longstanding modality of treatment. Mechanical <i>nasal lavage</i> and <i>irrigation</i> of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses are frequently conflated under the principle of nasal irrigations even if the objectives are different.</p><p><strong>Areas covered: </strong>The aims and principles of these two different modalities are described in the first part of the paper. In the second part, the literature is summarized based on the data related to the clinical efficacy of the nasal irrigation and on the results of the studies assessing the physical efficacy of the delivery.</p><p><strong>Expert opinion: </strong>Although abundant, the literature does not provide strong enough evidence about the optimal nasal irrigation modality. There is a genuine need for a clear definition of terms and evidence-based recommendations on the techniques that should be proposed to patients according to specific clinical objectives. The authors proposed a new terminology to distinguish between nasal clearance irrigation and nasal drug irrigation.</p>","PeriodicalId":94004,"journal":{"name":"Expert opinion on drug delivery","volume":" ","pages":"1541-1547"},"PeriodicalIF":5.4,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144710385","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}