Approaches to Colon-specific Drug Delivery

Four strategies are currently being pursued to achieve drug release specifically in the colon. 

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Colon-specific drug delivery has been attempted in a number of ways that primarily seek to exploit the changes in the physiological parameters along the gastrointestinal tract.These approaches include... 

Colon specific delivery gained inaeasing significance for the managanent colonic diseases, such as colorectal amebiasis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn s disease and cancer [34], Various approaches are used for targeting drugs to the colon include enzymatically degradable polymers ... 

Various formulation concepts have been introduced as potential ways to protect peptide and protein drugs from the hostile GI environment to increase their oral absorption such as use particulate drug carriers (microspheres, lipo-somes, and lectins), coadministration of enzyme inhibitors and absorption enhancers, use of chemical modification (prodrug), and site-specific delivery to the colon or rectum. Some of these approaches are discussed later. 

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