Recent Biomedical Approaches for Chitosan Based Materials as Drug Delivery Nanocarriers
Andreea Teodora Iacob,
Florentina Geanina Lupascu,
Maria Apotrosoaei,
Ioana Mirela Vasincu,
Roxana Georgiana Tauser,
Dan Lupascu,
Simona Eliza Giusca,
Irina-Draga Caruntu,
Lenuta Profire
Affiliations
Andreea Teodora Iacob
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Florentina Geanina Lupascu
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Maria Apotrosoaei
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Ioana Mirela Vasincu
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Roxana Georgiana Tauser
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Dan Lupascu
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Simona Eliza Giusca
Department of Morphofunctional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Irina-Draga Caruntu
Department of Morphofunctional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
Lenuta Profire
Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy of Iasi, 16 University Street, 700115 Iasi, Romania
In recent decades, drug delivery systems (DDSs) based on nanotechnology have been attracting substantial interest in the pharmaceutical field, especially those developed based on natural polymers such as chitosan, cellulose, starch, collagen, gelatin, alginate and elastin. Nanomaterials based on chitosan (CS) or chitosan derivatives are broadly investigated as promising nanocarriers due to their biodegradability, good biocompatibility, non-toxicity, low immunogenicity, great versatility and beneficial biological effects. CS, either alone or as composites, are suitable substrates in the fabrication of different types of products like hydrogels, membranes, beads, porous foams, nanoparticles, in-situ gel, microparticles, sponges and nanofibers/scaffolds. Currently, the CS based nanocarriers are intensely studied as controlled and targeted drug release systems for different drugs (anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, anticancer etc.) as well as for proteins/peptides, growth factors, vaccines, small DNA (DNAs) and short interfering RNA (siRNA). This review targets the latest biomedical approaches for CS based nanocarriers such as nanoparticles (NPs) nanofibers (NFs), nanogels (NGs) and chitosan coated liposomes (LPs) and their potential applications for medical and pharmaceutical fields. The advantages and challenges of reviewed CS based nanocarriers for different routes of administration (oral, transmucosal, pulmonary and transdermal) with reference to classical formulations are also emphasized.
