The development of nanocarriers for drug delivery has drawn a lot of attention due to the possibility for tailored delivery to the ill region while preserving the neighboring healthy tissue. In medicine, delivering drugs safely and effectively has never been easy; therefore, the creation of surfactant-based vesicles (niosomes) to enhance medication delivery has gained attention in the past years. Niosomes (NIOs) are versatile drug delivery systems that facilitate applications varying from transdermal transport to targeted brain delivery. These self-assembling vesicular nano-carriers are formed by hydrating cholesterol, non-ionic surfactants, and other amphiphilic substances. The focus of the review is to report on the latest NIO-type formulations which also include biopolymers from the polysaccharide class, highlighting their role in the development of these drug delivery systems (DDSs). The NIO and polysaccharide types, together with the recent pharmaceutical applications such as ocular, oral, nose-to brain, pulmonary, cardiac, and transdermal drug delivery, are all thoroughly summarized in this review, which offers a comprehensive compendium of polysaccharide-based niosomal research to date. Lastly, this delivery system’s limits and prospects are also examined.

Heart failure (HF) is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by impaired cardiac function and maladaptive neurohormonal activation, representing one of the leading causes of morbidity, hospitalization, and mortality worldwide. Both its incidence and prevalence continue to rise, largely as a consequence of population aging and the increasing burden of cardiovascular risk factors. The pathogenesis of HF is multifactorial, involving a dynamic interplay between inflammation and neurohormonal activation, ultimately leading to cardiac remodeling, diastolic dysfunction, and impaired cardiac output. In this context, numerous biomarkers have been investigated for diagnosis and prognosis utility in patients with HF. According to their underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, biomarkers in HF can be broadly categorized as indicators of inflammation, oxidative stress, cardiac remodeling, myocardial stress, neurohormonal activation, and cardiomyocyte injury. This review summarizes current knowledge on the pathophysiological basis of HF and highlights the diagnostic and prognostic relevance of circulating biomarkers, emphasizing their role in linking disease mechanisms with clinical management.

Niosomes (NIOs), a class of nanovesicular drug delivery system, have garnered significant attention due to their unique architecture, resulting from the self-assembly of non-ionic surfactants (with or without cholesterol) in aqueous media. This bilayered structure enables the encapsulation of both hydrophilic agents in the aqueous core and lipophilic compounds within the lipid bilayer, offering remarkable versatility in therapeutic applications. This article provides an overview of the key principles underlying niosomal formulations, including their composition, preparation methods, formulation conditions and the critical physicochemical parameters influencing vesicle formation and performance. Special emphasis is placed on recent innovations in surface and content modifications that have led to the development of stimuli-responsive niosomal systems, with precise and controlled drug release. These smart carriers are designed to respond to endogenous stimuli (such as pH variations, redox gradients, enzymatic activity, or local temperature changes in pathological sites), as well as to exogenous triggers (including light, ultrasound, magnetic or electric fields, and externally applied hyperthermia), thereby enhancing therapeutic precision. These surface and content modulation strategies effectively transform conventional NIOs into intelligent, stimuli-responsive platforms, reinforcing their innovative role in drug delivery and highlighting their significant potential in the development of smart nanomedicine.

This review aims to point out the main achievements in the cutting-edge field of aptamer nanotechnology and its applications in the most frequent neuro-oncological and neurodegenerative diseases. The article discusses the properties, advantages and drawbacks of aptamers (AP), and their design and selection by various SELEX methods, as well as the synergical advantages as theranostics of the aptamer-functionalized nanoparticles (Ap-NP). The Ap-nanoconjugates properties are compared to those of Ap and unconjugated NP. Moreover, the article comparatively analyzes the aptamer-based approaches vs. antibody-drug conjugates vs. exosome-based delivery systems vs. unconjugated NP, as targeted therapies in neurodegenerative diseases and gliomas. The review presents major challenges in Ap-NP conjugates’ clinical progress (concerning the in vivo enzymatic stability, blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability, selective intracellular uptake in the brain parenchyma and target tissues, rapid renal clearance, off-target toxicity, immunogenicity, reproductible manufacturing) and the investigated developmental strategies to solve them. Furthermore, relevant examples and comparative insights regarding preclinically tested Ap and Ap-NP conjugates are presented for targeted delivery systems loaded with chemotherapeutical drugs or genes, Ap-siRNA chimeras and immunotherapeutical aptamers, which are evaluated in glioblastomas (GBM), amyloidogenic diseases and multiple sclerosis (MS); radiotherapy enhancers in GBM; aptasensors for diagnostic and bioimaging-guided therapy in GBM, MS and amyloidopathies. The review finally points out future research directions in order to accelerate the clinical translation and the real-world impact as theranostics of the most preclinically advanced Ap-NP conjugates in major neuro-oncological and neurodegenerative disorders.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is one of the most common metabolic disorders, with a major involvement of oxidative stress in its onset and progression. Pioglitazone (Pio) is an antidiabetic drug that mainly works by reducing insulin resistance, while curcumin (Cur) is a powerful antioxidant with an important hypoglycemic effect. Both drugs are associated with several drawbacks, such as reduced bioavailability and a short half-life time (Pio), as well as instability and poor water solubility (Cur), which limit their therapeutic use. In order to overcome these disadvantages, new co-delivery (Pio and Cur) chitosan-based nanoparticles (CS-Pio-Cur NPs) were developed and compared with simple NPs (CS-Pio/CS-Cur NPs). The NPs were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). In addition, the entrapment efficiency (EE) and loading capacity (LC), as well as the release profile, of the APIs (Pio and Cur) from the CS-APIs NPs in simulated fluids (SGF, SIF, and SCF) were also assessed. All the CS-APIs NPs presented a small particle size (PS) (211.6–337.4 nm), a proper polydispersity index (PI) (0.104 and 0.289), and a positive zeta potential (ZP) (21.83 mV–32.64 mV). Based on the TEM results, an amorphous state could be attributed to the CA-APIs NPs, and the TEM analysis showed a spherical shape with a nanometric size for the CS-Pio-Cur NPs. The FT-IR spectroscopy supported the successful loading of the APIs into the CS matrix and proved some interactions between the APIs and CS. The CS-Pio-Cur NPs presented increased or similar EE (85.76% ± 4.89 for Cur; 92.16% ± 3.79 for Pio) and LC% (23.40% ± 1.62 for Cur; 10.14% ± 0.98 for Pio) values in comparison with simple NPs, CS-Cur NPs (EE = 82.46% ± 1.74; LC = 22.31% ± 0.94), and CS-Pio NPs (EE = 93.67% ± 0.89; LC = 11.24% ± 0.17), respectively. Finally, based on the release profile results, it can be appreciated that the developed co-delivery nanosystem, CS-Pio-Cur NPs, assures a controlled and prolonged release of Pio and Cur from the polymer matrix along the GI tract.

Although niflumic acid (NA) is one of the most used non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, it suffers from poor solubility, low bioavailability, and significant adverse effects. To address these limitations, the complexation of NA with cyclodextrins (CDs) is a promising strategy. However, complexing CDs with low molecular weight drugs like NA can lead to low CE. This study explores the development of inclusion complexes of NA with 2-hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin (2HP-β-CD), including the effect of converting NA to its sodium salt (NAs) and adding hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) on complex formation. Inclusion complexes were prepared using co-evaporation solvent and freeze-drying methods, and their CE and Ks were determined through a phase solubility study. The complexes were characterized using physicochemical analyses, including FT-IR, DSC, SEM, XRD, DLS, UV-Vis, ¹H-NMR, and ¹H-ROESY. The dissolution profiles of the complexes were also evaluated. The analyses confirmed complex formation for all systems, demonstrating drug–cyclodextrin interactions, amorphous drug states, morphological changes, and improved solubility and dissolution profiles. The NAs-2HP-β-CD-HPMC complex exhibited the highest CE and Ks values, a 1:1 host-guest molar ratio, and the best dissolution profile. The results indicate that the NAs-2HP-β-CD-HPMC complex has potential for delivering NA, which might enhance its therapeutic effectiveness and minimize side effects.