Chitosan in Modern Pharmacotherapy: From Drug Encapsulation to Targeted Delivery Systems

During the previous decade, chitosan has emerged as a highly valued biopolymer with diverse uses in the field of pharmacy. This review is intended to present information published during the recent years on the pharmacological properties of chitosan, multiple chitosan-based delivery systems and routes of drug administration of chitosan nanoparticles. Recent scientific research demonstrates that chitosan represents a valuable candidate for designing non-invasive drug delivery strategies. Chitosan nanoparticles are capable of optimizing drug pharmacokinetics, increasing local drug concentrations, and reducing overall systemic toxicity. Chemical and biological properties of chitosan make it suitable for a wide range of drug administration pathways, from conventional oral systems to advanced gene therapy approaches. Despite promising preclinical results, clinical application faces several challenges such as production standardization and regulatory hurdles.