BIOAVAILABILITY ENHANCEMENT AND LIPID NANOCARRIER BASED DELIVERY OF PEPTIDES AND PROTEINS

Abstract

Peptides and proteins are vital biomacromolecules that perform several bodily functions in various physiological and biological processes. Being biocompatible and biodegradable, these macromolecules are considered promising platforms for delivery of drugs and genes. However, peptides and proteins suffer from major limitations including enzymatic degradation, short circulation half-lives, and poor membrane permeability that leads to poor bioavailability, challenging their effective delivery. This article briefly discusses the inherent challenges in peptide and protein delivery along with strategies for bioavailability enhancement and lipid nanocarriers as prospective systems for peptide and protein drug delivery.