Overcoming the Diffusion Barrier of Mucus and Absorption Barrier of Epithelium by Self-Assembled Nanoparticles for Oral Delivery of Insulin

Nanoparticles (NPs) have demonstrated great potential for the oral delivery of protein drugs that have very limited oral bioavailability. Orally administered NPs could be absorbed by the epithelial tissue only if they successfully permeate through the mucus that covers the epithelium. However, efficient epithelial absorption and mucus permeation require very different surface properties of a nanocarrier. We herein report self-assembled NPs for...