Nanoparticulate drug delivery systems for the oral administration of macromolecular drugs

The progressive use of therapeutic macromolecular compounds, such as proteins and peptides, while increasingly recommended for a wide range of diseases, has been hampered by issues such as their size, stability, and chemical properties, as well as the inherent biological barriers that must be overcome. While a range of technologies have been investigated to tackle these issues, the use of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems (DDS) is rapidly emerging as one of the most promising approaches. This chapter details the barriers to absorption faced by macromolecular compounds and outlines the advantageous properties of nanoparticulate DDS, which allow them to overcome such barriers. Inorganic (e.g., titania and alumina, etc.) and organic (lipid and polymer) based nanoparticles are discussed in detail, paying particular attention to the materials and techniques required to successfully prepare these nanoparticles. Stimuli-responsive, biodegradable, and mucoadhesive polymer-based carrier systems are particularly suited for the encapsulation and delivery of macromolecular drugs and as such, this chapter focuses on the most promising advances in these areas and discusses the future trends in this rapidly expanding field.