Current insights into polymeric micelles for nasal drug delivery

The nasal administration route has gained peak interest in recent literature and as a noninvasive alternative for efficient drug delivery and increasing bioavailability of active substances. Technological challenges arise from the drug's physicochemical properties and the nasal mucosal barrier for which innovative particle engineering techniques must be implemented, such as using polymeric nanocarriers.

This review deals with the importance of the nasal administration route and its connection to polymeric micelles as innovative nanocarriers. The period between 2015-2025 up to date was chosen to search for original research articles where polymeric micelles were applied nasally. The first part demonstrates the utilization of polymeric micelles, followed by a summary of how drug release and permeability can be achieved in the nasal cavity and through the nasal epithelium. The second part reviews the studies conducted on this matter.

The nasal route could be superior to perform as a suitable alternative to conventional routes. Multiple studies have already demonstrated that the main advantages lie in the nose-to-brain drug delivery pathway, which can be conquered via adequately formulated polymeric micelles. As an innovative solution, vaccine delivery is also of great potential by combining the advantages of the delivery route and the polymeric nanocarriers.