pH and its applications in targeted drug delivery

Drug Discov Today. 2023 Jan;28(1):103414. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2022.103414. Epub 2022 Oct 20.

Abstract

Physiologic pH is vital for the normal functioning of tissues and varies in different parts of the body. The varying pH of the body has been exploited to design pH-sensitive smart oral, transdermal and vaginal drug delivery systems (DDS). The DDS demonstrated promising results in hard-to-treat diseases such as cancer and Helicobacter pylori infection. In some cases, a change in pH of tissues or body fluids has also been employed as a useful diagnostic biomarker. This paper aims to comprehensively review the development and applications of pH-sensitive DDS as well as recent advances in the field.

Keywords: acidic; alkaline; diseases; formulations; pH-sensitive; targeted drug delivery.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Drug Carriers / therapeutic use
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods
  • Helicobacter Infections* / drug therapy
  • Helicobacter pylori*
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Neoplasms* / drug therapy

Substances

  • Drug Carriers