Nanoparticle-based delivery platforms for the enhanced oral delivery of peptides/proteins

Biopharmaceutical products are currently well-established in nearly all branches of medicine and are believed to have great potential for the treatment of a broad spectrum of diseases. Peptide/protein drugs exhibit a predominant class of new biopharmaceuticals coming on the market in recent years. Oral delivery of peptides/proteins as a non-invasive therapeutic technique has become an appealing alternative to the parenteral route. However, the efficient oral delivery of peptides/proteins is limited because of their high molecular weight, poor stability and low biodistribution. Nanoparticles (NPs) have shown excellent results in peptide/protein delivery research. In this paper, the use of NPs as delivery systems for peptides/proteins and their ability to be efficiently delivered via the oral route have been described.