Recent Advancement in Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease that features chronic inflammation of the joints, destruction of the synovial tissue, and progressive disability. Traditional treatments with disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and glucocorticoids are usually linked to systemic side effects and low therapeutic effi-cacy. Drug delivery systems based on nanotechnology have been presented as a valuable strategy for the improvement of drug bioavailability, toxicity decrease, and targeted treatment of RA. This review discusses the latest developments in nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems, such as liposomes, niosomes, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, ethosomes, and transferosomes, focusing specif-ically on transdermal drug delivery systems (TDDS). These nanocarriers provide long-term release of the drug, enhanced permeability, and enhanced therapeutic activity by more targeted delivery to inflamed areas. In addition, the combination of combination therapy, co-delivery approaches, and phototherapy has also exhibited synergistic effects to evade drug resistance and improve anti-inflam-matory activity. Despite these developments, formulation stability, industrial manufacturing, and clinical translation remain critical challenges. Additional studies and clinical evidence are required to maximize nanotechnology-based therapies and integrate them into RA therapy.