Nanostructure-Based Drug Delivery in Alleviating Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global health concern with an increasing rate of prevalence and its impact on the patient’s quality of life. Conventional treatment strategies aimed for managing blood glucose levels are associated with certain limitations, including poor solubility, poor bioavailability, and toxicity. These challenges show the importance of developing sophisticated and specific drug delivery systems that would enhance the effectiveness and, at the same time, the safety of diabetes therapy. Nanostructures appear in this regard as a promising approach to enhance drug delivery, stability, and controlled release of drugs. New research activities have been focused on developing new nanostructure-based systems for these problems. Various developments showed promising results in enhancing of delivery of anti-diabetic agents. This review highlighted the potential of several anti-diabetic drug-loaded nanocarriers, including polymeric nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, liposomes, nanoemulsions, nanosuspensions, and niosomes for effective treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. This review also discussed the recent progress, patents, and potential trends in the nanostructure-based treatment for type 2 diabetes mellitus.