Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future

The burden of diabetes mellitus continues to escalate globally, demanding innovative and patient-centric therapeutic alternatives to conventional insulin injections. Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems offer transformative potential in diabetes management by enabling needle-free, targeted, and s...

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Main Authors: Saranya Balasubramaniyam, Thirumalaikumaran Rathinam, Mohanakrishnan Srinivasan, Sowmiya Jayarani
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-12-01
Series:Nano TransMed
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S279067602500024X
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author Saranya Balasubramaniyam
Thirumalaikumaran Rathinam
Mohanakrishnan Srinivasan
Sowmiya Jayarani
author_facet Saranya Balasubramaniyam
Thirumalaikumaran Rathinam
Mohanakrishnan Srinivasan
Sowmiya Jayarani
author_sort Saranya Balasubramaniyam
collection DOAJ
description The burden of diabetes mellitus continues to escalate globally, demanding innovative and patient-centric therapeutic alternatives to conventional insulin injections. Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems offer transformative potential in diabetes management by enabling needle-free, targeted, and sustained insulin administration. This review not only explores the cutting-edge landscape of nanocarriers—liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, and nanoemulsions—but also uniquely integrates clinical trial outcomes, molecular mechanisms, and novel applications such as CRISPR-based gene therapy and dietary extracellular vesicles (ELVs). These platforms shield insulin from enzymatic breakdown, enable oral or transdermal delivery, and provide controlled release to simulate physiological insulin profiles. Future uses encompass gene-loaded nanocarriers for regenerating pancreatic beta cells and intelligent nanocarriers integrated with biosensors for real-time glucose-responsive insulin release. This union opens the way for self-directed diabetes management with minimal patient interaction. Albeit promising, problems like potential toxicity, financial impediments, and regulatory issues have to be solved through collaborative efforts involving interdisciplinary inputs. Notably, the coupling of nanocarrier technology with wearable technology and personalized medicine techniques signals a shift in diabetes care paradigms. With maturity in research, these smart systems might not only obviate the need for syringe dependence but also redefine treatment by merging bioengineering, diagnostics, and regenerative strategies. Nanomedicine's role is poised to shift diabetes care from symptom management to functional cure, with global implications for improving patient quality of life.
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spelling doaj-art-afd36cb4a80d46abaed63a6f42e811a12025-08-23T04:50:14ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Nano TransMed2790-67602025-12-01410009310.1016/j.ntm.2025.100093Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free futureSaranya Balasubramaniyam0Thirumalaikumaran Rathinam1Mohanakrishnan Srinivasan2Sowmiya Jayarani3Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 602105, IndiaCorrespondence to: Department of Pharmacognosy, Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 602105, India.; Saveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 602105, IndiaSaveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 602105, IndiaSaveetha College of Pharmacy, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Chennai 602105, IndiaThe burden of diabetes mellitus continues to escalate globally, demanding innovative and patient-centric therapeutic alternatives to conventional insulin injections. Nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems offer transformative potential in diabetes management by enabling needle-free, targeted, and sustained insulin administration. This review not only explores the cutting-edge landscape of nanocarriers—liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, micelles, and nanoemulsions—but also uniquely integrates clinical trial outcomes, molecular mechanisms, and novel applications such as CRISPR-based gene therapy and dietary extracellular vesicles (ELVs). These platforms shield insulin from enzymatic breakdown, enable oral or transdermal delivery, and provide controlled release to simulate physiological insulin profiles. Future uses encompass gene-loaded nanocarriers for regenerating pancreatic beta cells and intelligent nanocarriers integrated with biosensors for real-time glucose-responsive insulin release. This union opens the way for self-directed diabetes management with minimal patient interaction. Albeit promising, problems like potential toxicity, financial impediments, and regulatory issues have to be solved through collaborative efforts involving interdisciplinary inputs. Notably, the coupling of nanocarrier technology with wearable technology and personalized medicine techniques signals a shift in diabetes care paradigms. With maturity in research, these smart systems might not only obviate the need for syringe dependence but also redefine treatment by merging bioengineering, diagnostics, and regenerative strategies. Nanomedicine's role is poised to shift diabetes care from symptom management to functional cure, with global implications for improving patient quality of life.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S279067602500024XDiabetes managementNanocarriersTargeted drug deliveryInsulin therapyLiposomesPolymeric nanoparticles
spellingShingle Saranya Balasubramaniyam
Thirumalaikumaran Rathinam
Mohanakrishnan Srinivasan
Sowmiya Jayarani
Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future
Nano TransMed
Diabetes management
Nanocarriers
Targeted drug delivery
Insulin therapy
Liposomes
Polymeric nanoparticles
title Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future
title_full Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future
title_fullStr Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future
title_full_unstemmed Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future
title_short Nanocarrier-based insulin delivery: A leap towards a needle-free future
title_sort nanocarrier based insulin delivery a leap towards a needle free future
topic Diabetes management
Nanocarriers
Targeted drug delivery
Insulin therapy
Liposomes
Polymeric nanoparticles
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S279067602500024X
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AT thirumalaikumaranrathinam nanocarrierbasedinsulindeliveryaleaptowardsaneedlefreefuture
AT mohanakrishnansrinivasan nanocarrierbasedinsulindeliveryaleaptowardsaneedlefreefuture
AT sowmiyajayarani nanocarrierbasedinsulindeliveryaleaptowardsaneedlefreefuture