Glucose-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems
Summary
Glucose‐responsive drug delivery systems represent a class of intelligent platforms designed to release therapeutic agents in response to fluctuations in blood glucose concentrations. Such systems aim to emulate physiological insulin regulation and provide closed‐loop control that mitigates the risk of hypoglycaemia and enhances patient adherence. Strategies generally follow two paradigms: enzymatic systems, which harness glucose‐oxidising enzymes to induce chemical or structural changes in the carrier, and affinity‐based systems, which exploit reversible glucose binding to moieties such as phenylboronic acid. A diverse array of materials—including hydrogels, microgels, nanogels and metal‐coordinated assemblies—has been developed to tune parameters such as response time, loading capacity and biocompatibility. Current efforts emphasise long-term stability, minimisation of immune recognition and incorporation of multi-stimuli responsiveness. These platforms offer promise for subcutaneous depots, implantable devices and transdermal patches, with the potential to transform diabetes management and improve quality of life worldwide. Future work centres on clinical translation, reduction of by-product accumulation and ensuring reliable performance under physiological conditions.
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Glucose-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in glucose-responsive drug delivery systems across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Glucose oxidase: An enzyme that catalyses the oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid and hydrogen peroxide.
Phenylboronic acid: A chemical moiety capable of forming reversible covalent bonds with diol groups in sugars.
Hydrogel: A three-dimensional polymer network that swells in water and responds to external stimuli.
Biocatalytic cascade: A sequence of enzymatic reactions within a single carrier that amplifies responsiveness to glucose.
Nanogel: A nanoscale hydrogel particle engineered for drug encapsulation and triggered release.
References
- pH‐Responsive Hexa‐Histidine Metal Assembly (HmA) with Enhanced Biocatalytic Cascades as the Vehicle for Glucose‐Mediated Long‐Acting Insulin Delivery. Advanced Science (2023).
- Recent Advances in Phenylboronic Acid-Based Gels with Potential for Self-Regulated Drug Delivery. Molecules (2019).
- Recent advances in glucose-responsive insulin delivery systems: novel hydrogels and future applications. Regenerative Biomaterials (2022).
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