Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Systems for Hormonal Therapeutics

Hormonal therapeutics often face challenges of poor aqueous solubility, rapid metabolism and limited tissue targeting, which compromise efficacy and patient compliance. Nanoparticle drug delivery systems address these issues by encapsulating hormone-based agents within biocompatible carriers, thereby enhancing solubility, protecting labile molecules from premature degradation and enabling controlled release. Lipid-based nanoparticles, polymeric constructs and hybrid materials have been engineered to transport selective oestrogen receptor modulators, peptide hormones and steroid derivatives across physiological barriers. Key strategies include surface functionalisation with targeting ligands or mucoadhesive polymers to prolong residence time at absorption sites, and incorporation of stimuli-responsive elements that release payloads in response to pH or enzymatic cues. Preclinical studies demonstrate that nanoparticle formulations can achieve multi-fold improvements in oral bioavailability, more uniform plasma profiles and reduced off-target effects, laying the groundwork for next-generation hormonal therapies with improved safety and therapeutic indices.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Nanoparticle Drug Delivery Systems for Hormonal Therapeutics publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle drug delivery systems for hormonal therapeutics across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanostructured lipid carrier (NLC): A sub-micron vesicle composed of solid and liquid lipids designed to encapsulate lipophilic drugs for enhanced stability and controlled release.
Cyclodextrin inclusion complex: A host–guest assembly in which a hydrophobic drug molecule is partially or fully enclosed within the cavity of a cyclic oligosaccharide to improve solubility.
Entrapment efficiency: The percentage of initial drug successfully encapsulated within a carrier relative to the total amount used in formulation.
Zeta potential: The electric potential at the slipping plane of a particle in suspension, indicative of colloidal stability and propensity to interact with biological membranes.
Polydispersity index (PDI): A measure of the uniformity of particle size distribution in a nanoparticle formulation; values below 0.3 indicate narrow size distribution.

References

1. Oral Bioavailability Enhancement of Raloxifene with Nanostructured Lipid Carriers. Nanomaterials (2020).
2. Raloxifene/SBE-β-CD Inclusion Complexes Formulated into Nanoparticles with Chitosan to Overcome the Absorption Barrier for Bioavailability Enhancement. Pharmaceutics (2018).
3. Bioadhesive polymer/lipid hybrid nanoparticles as oral delivery system of raloxifene with enhancive intestinal retention and bioavailability. Drug Delivery (2021).