| Abstract: | Introduction: Colon-specific drug delivery systems have recently gained importance for delivering a variety of therapeutic agents via oral route. This mode offers the feasibility of treating colonic pathologies with less risk of bioburden to other organs/tissues and has been widely researched for the delivery of challenging drugs. Microspheres targeted to colon have occupied central position on drug delivery due to their small size that offers characteristic intrinsic properties attributable to the carrier. Areas covered: The present deliberation precariously covers the capacious usage of microspheres for the treatment of local colonic pathologies like colon carcinomas, inflammatory bowel disease and parasitic diseases using natural as well as synthetic carriers. The write up also encompasses clinical application of microspheres. Expert opinion: Microspheres have comprehensive potential to be marketed as the patient-friendly formulation, as it would provide direct treatment at the disease site and, consequently, lower dosing and reducing systemic side effects. Wherefore, the major obstacles in delivering drugs to the colon like the absorption and degradation pathways in the proximal part of GIT could be easily overcome, and also a range of pathologies from constipation and diarrhea to the exhaustive inflammatory bowel diseases and colon carcinoma could be cured. |
