Advances of Non-Ionic Surfactant Vesicles (Niosomes) and Their Application in Drug Delivery

The document from 2019 reviews the advancements in non-ionic surfactant vesicles, known as niosomes, highlighting their potential in drug delivery. Niosomes are advantageous due to their ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, which improves drug bioavailability while maintaining low toxicity and high targeting efficiency. They are more stable, cost-effective, and easier to prepare than liposomes and polymersomes. The review details various methods for niosome preparation, such as thin-film hydration and reversed phase evaporation, and emphasizes the importance of characterizing niosomes to understand their properties. Clinical trials have shown niosomes to be effective in drug delivery, with applications in treating diseases like cancer and diabetes, and in enhancing oral bioavailability and tumor targeting. Niosomes have also been successful in delivering proteins, peptides, and genes, as evidenced by studies in diabetic rats and mice. They can protect insulin from degradation, enhance oral bioavailability, and improve vaccine stability and efficacy. The document concludes that niosomes are a promising drug delivery system due to their stability and cost-effectiveness, but further research is needed for targeted delivery, safety assessment, and industrial scaling.