Chitosan nanoparticles: A promising tool in nanomedicine

Abstract

Chitosan (CS) is usually obtained by deacetylation of a naturally available polymer, chitin. As versatile therapeutic delivery vehicles, chitosan nanoparticles (CSNPs) have drawn a lot of attention due to their improved stability, low toxicity, straightforward and gentle fabrication process, and availability of a variety of administration methods. Their nanometer size makes them useful for transdermal, oral, nasal, ocular, and parenteral delivery of loaded therapeutics. They have gained more appreciation as novel drug delivery systems because of their extensive applications in loading and delivering proteins, peptides, genes, and anticancer drugs. Recently, various surface-modified CSNPs have emerged for improving biological stability, therapeutic delivery, and drug targeting. Currently, the development of an inexpensive, safe, and effective nanocarrier for therapeutic delivery is a challenging task. The use of CS and its derivatives in the formulation of novel drug delivery systems has received particular interest, as these systems have provided many unique advantages. Various preclinical and clinical investigations for application in nanomedicine have supported various CS-based nanomaterials. In this book chapter, we focused on the essential properties of CSNPs as a suitable nanocarrier, their preparation methods, surface modification, transport, and drug release mechanisms. We also included the recently reported CSNP-based drug delivery systems and their toxicological profiles. Furthermore, we have explored the preclinical and clinical status of CS-based nanomedicine. © 2025 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.