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Updated: Aug 18, 2025

Direct Protein Delivery to Mammalian Cells Using Cell-permeable Cys2-His2 Zinc-finger Domains
Published on: March 25, 2015
Recent Advances in Oral and Transdermal Protein Delivery Systems
Yinxian Yang1, Ruyi Zhou1, Yanfang Wang1
1Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory for Advanced Drug Delivery Systems, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China.
Abstract:
Protein and peptide drugs are predominantly administered by injection to achieve high bioavailability, but this greatly compromises patient compliance. Oral and transdermal drug delivery with minimal invasiveness and high adherence represent attractive alternatives to injection administration. However, oral and transdermal administration of bioactive proteins must overcome biological barriers, namely the gastrointestinal and skin barriers, respectively. The rapid development of new materials and technologies promises to address these physiological obstacles. This review provides an overview of the latest advances in oral and transdermal protein delivery, including chemical strategies, synthetic nanoparticles, medical microdevices, and biomimetic systems for oral administration, as well as chemical enhancers, physical approaches, and microneedles in transdermal delivery. We also discuss challenges and future perspectives of the field with a focus on innovation and translation.
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