A Vision for Cyclodextrin Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery Systems and Pharmaceutical Applications

Abstract

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have brought a revolution in the pharmaceutical field over the last decade. Natural and modified CDs (α-CD and β-CD) have been studied and some have gained US FDA approval or achieved 'Generally Regarded as Safe' (GRAS) status. Another characteristic of CDs is the ease with which they can be induced to form supramolecular structures for its use in drug delivery. CDs, grafted or crosslinked with polymers, are now being developed into 'smart' systems for efficient targeted drug delivery, especially for hydrophobic drugs. Amphiphilic CDs have the ability to form nanospheres or nanocapsules via a simple nanoprecipitation technique. This review deals with different types of CDs, and their efficacy, physicochemical properties and transformation into nanoparticles with interesting in vitro and in vivo applications.

Keywords::

• amphiphilic cyclodextrins
• cancer
• cyclodextrin nanoparticles
• drug delivery systems
• gene delivery
• inclusion complex
• smart polymers
• supramolecular structures

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors would like to acknowledge the UJ-COMMONWEALTH for a study bursary and the Rhodes Sandiswa Imbewu project. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to acknowledge the UJ-COMMONWEALTH for a study bursary and the Rhodes Sandiswa Imbewu project. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.