Recent Advances in Polymeric Nanocomposite Carriers of Various Active Ingredients for Controlled and Sustained Drug Release: A Review
Abstract
Controlled and sustained drug delivery has emerged as a transformative strategy for overcoming the limitations of conventional pharmaceutical formulations, including poor bioavailability, rapid drug clearance, systemic toxicity, and non-specific distribution. Among the numerous delivery platforms investigated, polymeric nanocomposite carriers have attracted considerable attention because they integrate the excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability, and processability of polymers with the unique physicochemical, mechanical, optical, magnetic, and therapeutic properties of inorganic nanomaterials. This review provides a comprehensive and critical evaluation of recent advances in polymeric nanocomposite-based drug delivery systems, highlighting the synergistic interactions between natural and synthetic polymers and a broad spectrum of nanofillers, including metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbon-based nanomaterials, nanoclays, mesoporous materials, and electrospun nanofibers. The influence of nanocomposite composition, fabrication strategies, and physicochemical characteristics on drug loading, encapsulation efficiency, release kinetics, targeting capability, and biological performance is systematically discussed. Furthermore, representative therapeutic applications in cancer therapy, wound healing, antimicrobial treatment, tissue engineering, neurological disorders, and regenerative medicine are critically compared to establish structure–property–performance relationships. This review primarily summarizes individual carrier systems, preparation methods, release mechanisms, and biomedical applications into a unified framework while identifying current limitations related to nanoparticle aggregation, long-term biocompatibility, biodegradation, large-scale manufacturing, regulatory approval, and clinical translation. This review provides valuable insights for researchers working on the rational design of advanced polymeric nanocomposites with enhanced therapeutic efficacy, improved safety, and accelerated clinical applicability.