Nanosponge Approach -A Plethora of Opportunities as a Promising Nanocarrier for Novel Drug Delivery

Background: Nanotechnology is the need of the hour! The design of nanotechnology-aided carriers as a tool for the delivery of low solubility molecules offers a potential platform to overcome the issues of current clinical treatment and achieve good targeted release and bioaccessibility. Objective: Nanosponges (NS) encapsulate types of nanocarriers capable of carrying both lipophilic and hydrophilic substances. They are synthesized by mixing a solution of polyester, which is biodegradable, with cross-linkers. These tiny, porous structures are round-shaped, having multiple cavities wherein drugs can be housed to offer programmable release. Methods: The detailed literature review and patent search summarize the ongoing research on NS. Substances such as poorly soluble drugs, nutraceuticals, gases, proteins and peptides, volatile oils, genetic material, etc., can be loaded on these novel carriers, which are characterized using various analytical techniques. Target-specific drug delivery and controlled drug release are the advantages offered by NS, along with a myriad of other promising applications. Results: This review stresses the development of cyclodextrin-based NS, the synthetic methods and characterization of NS, along with factors affecting NS formation, their applications and information on the patented work in this area. NS are solid in character and can be formulated in various dosage forms, such as parenteral, topical, oral or inhalation. Conclusion: Therefore, owing to their promising benefits over other nanocarriers in terms of drug loading, adaptability, sustainability, solubility and tailored release profile, NS is an immediate technological revolution for drug entrapment and as novel drug carriers.The authors expect that these fundamental applications of NS could help the researchers to develop and gain insight about NS in novel drug delivery applications.