Advances in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems: Mechanistic insights, pharmacological performance, and translational pathways.
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Pharmacy, Superior University Sargodha Campus, Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan.
- 2School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
- 3Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.
- 4Preclinical Department, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Royal College of Medicine Perak, Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
- 5Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Cyberjaya, Persiaran Bestari, Cyber 11, Cyberjaya, Selangor, 63000, Malaysia.
- 6Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, INTI International University, Nilai, Malaysia.
Abstract
Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems (MDDS) have emerged as an important strategy in modern pharmacology to enhance drug residence time, improve mucosal absorption, and optimize therapeutic performance across diverse administration routes. By enabling intimate and prolonged interactions with mucosal tissues, MDDS directly influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic outcomes while supporting patient-centric, non-invasive drug delivery. Recent advances in polymer engineering, surface functionalization, and formulation design have further expanded the capability of MDDS to overcome biological barriers and address key limitations associated with conventional dosage forms. This review provides a comprehensive and mechanistically driven analysis of MDDS, focusing on the fundamental principles of mucoadhesion and the physicochemical and biological factors governing adhesive strength, mucus penetration, and controlled drug release. A wide range of mucoadhesive delivery platforms, including films, gels, tablets, patches, hydrogels, and particulate systems, are discussed in relation to their structure-property-function relationships and pharmacological performance across oral, nasal, ocular, gastrointestinal, vaginal, rectal, and pulmonary routes. The role of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic polymers, together with advanced functionalization strategies such as thiolation, ligand incorporation, stimuli-responsive networks, and nanotechnology integration, is critically evaluated with respect to enhancing adhesion, permeability, and therapeutic efficacy. Beyond formulation design, the review emphasizes translational and drug discovery-relevant considerations, including Quality by Design (QbD), manufacturing scalability, regulatory and safety expectations, and clinically evaluated and Food and Drug Administration-approved mucoadhesive products. Selected clinical trials and case studies of successful and unsuccessful formulations are examined to highlight key challenges in clinical translation and to identify emerging opportunities. By bridging mechanistic understanding with applied pharmacology and translational development, this review positions MDDS as a versatile and clinically viable platform for advancing next-generation drug delivery strategies and accelerating their progression from discovery to patient care.
Related
- Inhaled Nanomedicines for Lung Diseases and Injuries: Pharmacological Advances and Clinical Translation
- Targeting ferroptosis in rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease: from mechanistic insights to pharmacological interventions
- Microbial metabolites in chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment: from mechanistic associations to pharmacological target validation
- Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR)-Based Genome Editing in Inherited Cardiovascular Diseases: Therapeutic Advances, Emerging Editing Platforms, and Translational Challenges
- Pstpip2-deficient mouse models in SAPHO syndrome research: Utility, mechanistic insights, and translational limitations
BibTeX
@article{zahra2026advances,
title = {{Advances in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems: Mechanistic insights, pharmacological performance, and translational pathways.}},
author = {Farwa Zahra and Ahmed Raza Hashmi and Ram Narayanan Ravi and Mahendran Sekar and Ling Shing Wong and Ravindran Jaganathan and Rajeswari Ravindran},
journal = {Current research in pharmacology and drug discovery},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.crphar.2026.100261},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923958},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Advances in mucoadhesive drug delivery systems: Mechanistic insights, pharmacological performance, and translational pathways.
AU - Farwa Zahra
AU - Ahmed Raza Hashmi
AU - Ram Narayanan Ravi
AU - Mahendran Sekar
AU - Ling Shing Wong
AU - Ravindran Jaganathan
AU - Rajeswari Ravindran
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/21
JO - Current research in pharmacology and drug discovery
DO - 10.1016/j.crphar.2026.100261
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923958
AB - Mucoadhesive drug delivery systems (MDDS) have emerged as an important strategy in modern pharmacology to enhance drug residence time, improve mucosal absorption, and optimize therapeutic performance across diverse administration routes. By enabling intimate and prolonged interactions with mucosal tissues, MDDS directly influence pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic outcomes while supporting patient-centric, non-invasive drug delivery. Recent advances in polymer engineering, surface functionalization, and formulation design have further expanded the capability of MDDS to overcome biological barriers and address key limitations associated with conventional dosage forms. This review provides a comprehensive and mechanistically driven analysis of MDDS, focusing on the fundamental principles of mucoadhesion and the physicochemical and biological factors governing adhesive strength, mucus penetration, and controlled drug release. A wide range of mucoadhesive delivery platforms, including films, gels, tablets, patches, hydrogels, and particulate systems, are discussed in relation to their structure-property-function relationships and pharmacological performance across oral, nasal, ocular, gastrointestinal, vaginal, rectal, and pulmonary routes. The role of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic polymers, together with advanced functionalization strategies such as thiolation, ligand incorporation, stimuli-responsive networks, and nanotechnology integration, is critically evaluated with respect to enhancing adhesion, permeability, and therapeutic efficacy. Beyond formulation design, the review emphasizes translational and drug discovery-relevant considerations, including Quality by Design (QbD), manufacturing scalability, regulatory and safety expectations, and clinically evaluated and Food and Drug Administration-approved mucoadhesive products. Selected clinical trials and case studies of successful and unsuccessful formulations are examined to highlight key challenges in clinical translation and to identify emerging opportunities. By bridging mechanistic understanding with applied pharmacology and translational development, this review positions MDDS as a versatile and clinically viable platform for advancing next-generation drug delivery strategies and accelerating their progression from discovery to patient care.
SN - 2590-2571
ER -