Biomaterials as therapeutic drug carriers for inflammatory bowel disease treatment

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs) are idiopathic gastrointestinal inflammatory disorders featuring chronic intestinal inflammation. Although IBDs are increasingly becoming globally prevalent, the exact etiology of IBD remains obscure. Recently, the ability of various drugs for mucosal healing such as corticosteroids, antibiotics, and immunosuppressants has been proven. However, the delivery of free drugs is insufficient and inadequate since some patients have experienced reduced efficacy due to repeated administration and others have suffered side effects. In this regard, novel platforms based on biomaterials are required to deliver pharmaceutical agents to the damaged site with increased efficacy and reduced side effects. In this review, we summarize the most recent status of numerous biomaterials in treating IBD. This review addresses various nanoparticles, microparticles, and hydrogels recently prepared from natural polymers, lipids, synthetic polymers, and inorganic materials. These diverse biomaterials can be used as effective drug-delivery systems to promote colon-specific delivery and for the stable release of drugs in IBD treatments. [Display omitted] •A detailed overview of the recent status of micro- and nano-sized drug carrier systems for IBD treatment is presented.•Various colon-targeting approaches developed for the application to natural, synthetic, and inorganic materials are reviewed.•Outlooks and immediate challenges regarding biomaterial-based IBD therapies are discussed.