Absorption enhancers for nasal drug delivery

Area of Science:

• Pharmacology
• Drug Delivery
• Biotechnology

Background:

• The nasal route offers potential for systemic drug delivery, bypassing first-pass metabolism.
• Delivery of challenging molecules (polar, peptides, proteins) via nasal mucosa remains difficult.
• Absorption enhancers are crucial for improving drug permeation across the nasal epithelium.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review concepts of transmucosal drug delivery, focusing on the nasal route.
• To discuss strategies, mechanisms, and safety of absorption enhancers for nasal drug delivery.
• To highlight the application of enhancers, particularly chitosan, in nasal vaccine delivery.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on transmucosal and nasal drug delivery.
• Analysis of absorption enhancer mechanisms, efficacy, and toxicity.
• Examination of preclinical and clinical data for various enhancer systems (cyclodextrins, phospholipids, chitosan).
• Description of methods for assessing nasal membrane safety.

Main Results:

• Various absorption enhancers (cyclodextrins, phospholipids, chitosan) can significantly improve nasal drug delivery.
• Chitosan demonstrates potential for enhanced nasal vaccine delivery, supported by clinical studies.
• Safety assessments indicate manageable irritancy and damage with appropriate enhancer use.

Conclusions:

• Absorption enhancers are vital for overcoming nasal bioavailability challenges.
• Chitosan represents a promising enhancer for nasal vaccine administration.
• Careful evaluation of enhancer safety is essential for successful nasal drug delivery applications.