From Bench to Bowel: A Review of Nanocarrier-based Drug Delivery Strategies in Inflammatory Bowel Disease

This review aims to discuss various nanocarrier systems for treatment in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), encompassing ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), is a chronic, idiopathic, and relapsing-remitting condition of the gastrointestinal tract characterized by immunological dysregulation, malfunction of the intestinal epithelial barrier, and excessive production of pro-inflammatory mediators. Therefore, this review emphasises the role of nanocarrier systems in improving drug targeting, enhancing the stability of therapeutic agents, with minimal side effects, and their effectiveness in the treatment of IBD. Relevant literature was systematically searched and retrieved from reputable scientific databases, including Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and SpringerLink. The selection focused on peer-reviewed articles, reviews, and experimental studies aligned with the scope of targeted drug delivery systems in IBD. In this review, we have discussed the advantages and limitations of the nanocarrier for the treatment of IBD. Treatment of IBD using nanocarriers becomes necessary because conventional therapy provides symptomatic relief but poor drug site targeting, poor bioavailability, and systemic toxicity. An advanced drug delivery carrier system is overcome through a nanocarrier system by site-specific targeting and controlled release to inflamed tissues. Drug delivery systems based on nanocarriers have a lot of promise to improve treatment efficacy, have high bioavailability, have few side effects, and target IBD specifically. Every nanocarrier method, including polymeric-based nanoparticles, liposomes, exosomes, SLN (solid lipid nanoparticles), NLC (nanostructured lipid carrier), and gold nanoparticles, has shown unique pharmacokinetic advantages and surmounted obstacles in traditional delivery systems.