Cyclodextrin-Based Formulations: A Non-Invasive Platform for Targeted Drug Delivery

Cyclodextrins (CDs) are recognized as promising pharmaceutical excipients due to their unique ability to form water-soluble inclusion complexes with various poorly soluble compounds. The numerous investigations on CDs and their use in nanomedicine have received considerable attention in the last three decades, leading to the rapid development of new CD-containing formulations that significantly facilitate targeted drug delivery and controlled drug release, with consequent improvements in drug bioavailability. This MiniReview highlights the efficacy and recent uses of CDs for non-invasive drug delivery. Using ophthalmic and nasal drug delivery as examples, an overview of chemical properties, mechanisms of CDs on drug solubilization, stabilization and permeation, along with their toxicological profiles relevant to nasal and ocular administration, are provided and discussed. The recent development and application of CD-based nanocarrier systems for targeted drug delivery are summarized.