Cubosomes: Versatile Nanosized Formulation for Efficient Delivery of Therapeutics

Cubosomes are bicontinuous cubic phase nanoparticles with a size range from 10-500 nm. They offer various advantages with some limitations at the production level, e.g., cubosomes have the feature to encapsulate a large amount of the drug due to its large internal area owing to cuboidal shape but limited in large scale production due to its high viscosity which is associated with the problem in homogenization. This nanoparticulate formulation is compatible for administration by various routes like oral, transdermal, topical, buccal, etc. The drug release mechanism from cubosomes was reported to be dependent on the partition coefficient and diffusion process. Compared with liposomes, cubosomes show many differences in various aspects like shape, size, ingredients, and mode of action. The main ingredients for the preparation of cubosomes include lipids, stabilizers, aqueous phase and therapeutic agents. Several methods have been reported for cubosomes, including the top-down method, the bottom-up method and the adopted coarse method. For the optimization of cubosomes, the key factors to be considered, which will affect the cubosomes characteristics include the concentration of lipid, temperature and pH. At present, many research groups are exploring the potential of cubosomes as biosensors and nanocarriers. Based on the latest reports and research, this review illuminates the structure of the cubosomes, mechanism of the drug release, different methods of preparation with factors affecting the cubosomes, application of cubosomes in different sectors, differences from the liposomes, and their advantages.