Affiliation:
1. Experimental Education/Administration Center National Demonstration Center for Experimental Education of Basic Medical Sciences Key Laboratory of Functional Proteomics of Guangdong Province Department of Cell Biology School of Basic Medical Sciences Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 China
2. Nanfang Hospital The First School of Clinical Medicine Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 China
3. School of Nursing Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 China
4. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening School of Pharmaceutical Sciences Southern Medical University Guangzhou 510515 China
Abstract
Oral administration, as a traditional approach of taking therapeutic drugs, is easily accepted by patients due to its convenience and compliance. However, the harsh digestive environment and mucosa‐epithelial cell barriers limit the absorption of drugs through the oral route, particularly for biomacromolecules such as protein, peptide, or nucleic acid drugs. To address this issue, active carriers such as micro/nanomotors and mechanical devices have been engineered as novel delivery systems that are capable of converting various energy into mechanical force. The active delivery of these carriers holds promise for overcoming absorptive barriers and improving drug delivery efficiency, making them an attractive option for precision medicine applications that include drug delivery, gene and cell therapy, biopsy, tissue penetration, intracellular delivery, and biosensing. This article presents an overview of the progress and challenges associated with orally delivering macromolecular drugs, as well as strategies to enhance drug absorption. Additionally, it discusses recent developments and potential applications of active carriers in drug delivery and related fields, which may provide inspiration for future research.
Funder
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Key Technologies Research and Development Program
Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation of Guangdong Province
Guangdong Medical Research Foundation