Liposome-Based Drug Delivery for Diabetes: Therapeutic Applications and a Nanomedicine Perspective on Diabetic...

Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects approximately 537 million adults worldwide and remains inadequately controlled in a substantial proportion of patients despite the availability of various pharmacological therapies. Conventional antidiabetic treatments are often limited by poor bioavailability, rapid degradation of peptide-based drugs, insufficient tissue targeting, and systemic adverse effects. Liposomes, phospholipid bilayer-based nanocarriers, provide a versatile structural platform capable of simultaneously encapsulating hydrophilic and lipophilic agents, thereby addressing key pharmacokinetic limitations of conventional therapies. Their advantages include enhanced drug stability, improved bioavailability, and controlled release properties, resulting in more favorable pharmacokinetic performance. Surface modifications, such as PEGylation and ligand functionalization, further extend circulation time and enable targeted delivery, enhancing therapeutic efficacy in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes compared with conventional formulations. The evidence synthesized in this review indicates that liposomal systems consistently demonstrate improved pharmacokinetic profiles, enhanced tissue-specific accumulation, and reduced systemic toxicity in preclinical models of diabetes, although high-quality clinical validation remains limited. This review summarizes recent advances in liposome design, fabrication strategies, and therapeutic mechanisms in diabetes and its complications, providing a critical evaluation of their therapeutic benefits and translational barriers. Despite their clear potential, major challenges persist, including gastrointestinal instability, enzymatic degradation of encapsulated peptides, large-scale manufacturing complexity, and regulatory standardization. Addressing these limitations through formulation optimization, advanced targeting strategies, and rigorous clinical validation will be essential for successful clinical translation. Overall, liposomes represent a strategic and evolving nanomedicine platform for precision diabetes therapy.