Colon-targeted oral drug delivery systems enable site-specific drug release in the colon, offering considerable potential for the treatment of localized colonic diseases as well as improved oral absorption of peptide and protein therapeutics. Ace Therapeutics has established an orally administered platform designed for targeted colon delivery of biologics.
Current Status of Research on Colon-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems
Research on colon-targeted drug delivery systems has evolved from single-mechanism strategies to integrated, multi-mechanism designs incorporating pH sensitivity, time-dependent release, and microbiota enzyme activation to improve targeting accuracy.
Fig. 1 Effective translation of colon-targeted medicines. (McCoubrey LE, et al., 2023)
What Can We Offer?
We employ natural fibers for protective bioencapsulation, maintaining the stability of therapeutic protein throughout the upper gastrointestinal tract while enabling selective release specifically in the colon.
- Enabling oral administration of macromolecular biologics into the colon
- Minimizing systemic toxicity
- Achieving room-temperature-stable drug delivery solutions
- Preserving activity and target-binding capacity
- Activating local immune responses
Colon-Targeted Delivery Systems We Can Design
The following chart outlines the principal types of colon-targeted drug delivery systems we develop for clients, along with their key characteristics.
| Delivery System Types |
Main Features of The Delivery System |
| pH-dependent delivery system |
Leveraging the higher pH of the colon relative to the small intestine, the pH-dependent delivery system enables drug dissolution and release specifically in the colonic environment. |
| Time-dependent delivery system |
Using functional coatings, the time-dependent delivery system achieves controlled drug release at predetermined intervals, ensuring synchronized delivery to the colon. |
| Enzyme-dependent delivery system |
Depending on colon-specific microbial enzymes (such as pectinase and azoreductase), the enzyme-dependent delivery system is degraded to release the drug. |
| Microbiota-dependent delivery system |
By leveraging the unique gut microbiota in the colon, the microbiota-dependent delivery system can be recognized and degraded, thereby enabling targeted drug delivery to the colon. |
| Composite mechanism delivery system |
Combining two or more mechanisms (e.g., pH + time delay) to enhance targeting precision. |
Application of Colon-Targeted Delivery Systems in Drug Development
- Application in Colorectal Cancer Treatment
In colorectal cancer treatment, the primary goal of colon-targeted delivery systems is to maximize drug concentration within tumor tissues. We help clients develop combination therapy strategies, including integration with innovative approaches such as immunotherapy.
- Synergistic anticancer effects of polysaccharide nanoparticles
- Precision targeting by smart responsive systems
- Enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity in nanoparticle formulations
- Applications in Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Treatment
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease, predominantly involves the colon and represents a classic application for colon-targeted delivery systems. We develop customized delivery solutions for IBD therapeutics based on client needs, enabling multi-target synergistic treatment and precise immune modulation.
- Targeting immune cells to modulate inflammation
- Engineered immune cells as "biological missiles"
- Multi-target regulation of metal nanodrugs
Ace Therapeutics has assembled an interdisciplinary team of experienced pharmacologists, innovative materials scientists, and formulation specialists focused on developing advanced colonic drug delivery solutions for client programs. If you are interested in our services, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Reference
- McCoubrey, L.E.; et al. Colonic drug delivery: Formulating the next generation of colon-targeted therapeutics. J Control Release. 2023, 353:1107-1126.
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