Protein/Peptides Drug Delivery System

Proteins/peptides are the most vital component of any biological system, and as a result, are advantageous to be used as therapeutic agents. Proteins/peptides drugs can be used in the treatment of various diseases like cancer, diabetes, immunological disorders, and microbial infections. The protein/peptide-based therapeutic agents display minimal immunological response as the biological systems are majorly made of protein and peptides. Proteins/peptides have several advantages, but also comprise several disadvantages related to their stability, absorption, and delivery. Proteins/peptides are chemically unstable and can be degraded by the proteolytic enzymes and gastric acid. The therapeutic activity of proteins/peptides also depends on their structure, and a slight change in their structure can lead to the loss of biological activity. Various approaches such as modification of the route of administration and formulation, and some other novel approaches have been used to enhance the stability and delivery of proteins/peptides drugs. The oral route of administration of proteins/peptides faces various disadvantages like degradation through proteolytic enzymes and gastric acid, as a result other routes of administration such as nasal, buccal, parenteral, and transdermal have been evolved. Different types of formulation such as nanoparticles, microspheres, microneedles, aquasomes, etc., are made to deliver proteins/peptides not only for an oral route, but also for the other routes of administration. Some novel approaches such as inhibition of proteolytic enzymes and protein crystallization are used to enhance stability. The structure of proteins/peptides can be made more lipophilic to increase absorption and can be converted to prodrugs to enhance their stability. The potential of biological proteins/peptides as therapeutics encourages the researcher to employ various innovative ideas for the improvement of their stability, solubility, and efficacy.