Investigating nanofiber drug delivery for treating gastrointestinal diseases and cancer management

Unhealthy lifestyle, dietary habits, and medication side effects make the gastrointestinal (GI) tract more susceptible to cancerous conditions, particularly affecting the stomach, colon, and rectum. Common afflictions of the GI organs include diarrhea, bloating, bleeding, ulcers, malabsorption, and malnutrition. The notable increase in cases of colon cancer necessitates the exploration of new drug delivery systems. Considering these concerning statistics, it is imperative to enhance and reform the treatment approach for GI diseases. Nanofibers (NF) are an essential class of nanomaterials with incredibly valuable properties for drug delivery.

This article briefly describes approaches to nanofiber fabrication, highlights characterization techniques and optimization of process parameters. The main focus of the review is on NF application for drug delivery in GI diseases with special emphasis on chemotherapeutic agents for GI cancers. Finally, the challenges to make NF technology viable to ultimately lead to better disease management have been discussed. The review concludes with views on limitations.

Article focuses on recent advances in electrospinning methods, which have emerged as the most promising method for nanofiber fabrication in gastrointestinal drug delivery processes. Newer developments in coaxial, needle-free, and melt extrusion techniques provide improved drug release kinetics and targeting selectivity. The implementation of Quality by Design (QbD) principles in nanofiber formulation development is a critical milestone for ensuring consistent product quality and regulatory compliance, particularly through systematic process optimization of material and process parameters. Future success of nanofiber-based gastrointestinal therapeutics depends on resolving significant issues with scalability, consistency, safety, and regulation.