In-Vivo Assessment of Colon-Targeted Nanoparticles for Anti-Inflammatory Drug Delivery in Guinea Pigs

Abstract

The chronic gastrointestinal disease, characterized by a persistent inflammatory process and significantly affecting the quality of life, include ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease (inflammatory bowel diseases, IBD). Systemic therapies used traditionally often are not able to provide the targeted delivery of drug to the colon with consequent lower efficacy and greater systemic side effects. This review focuses on in-vivo evaluation of colon-targeted nanoparticles for delivery of anti-inflammatory drug using guinea pig models include anatomical and physiological similarity to human gastrointestinal tract. The review range reaches a wide variety of nanoparticles –polymeric, lipid-based, micellar, dendrimer, and hybrid systems for the targeting mechanism – such as pHsensitivity, microbial triggers, mucoadhesion, ligand-mediated targeting. Some of the key findings suggest thatnanoparticle-based colon-targeted drug delivery systems (CTDDS) increase local drug concentration at sites ofactive inflammation and increase the therapeutic efficacy while reducing systemic exposure as compared toconventional treatment options. In guinea pigs, in-vivo measurements, show the efficacy of nanoparticles intargeting the gastrointestinal tract, having a site-specific drug release, reducing inflammatory markers as well andhelping mucosal healing. Notwithstanding these encouraging results, there are still such limitations as lack ofstandardized protocols, limited long-term safety data, and lack of chronic disease models. This review emphasizesthe capability of CTDDS to revolutionize the IBD management and directions of future research necessary forclinical translation, such as development of advanced models, scalability, and pilot human trials.