Management of Rheumatoid Arthritis By Development of Nanocarriers and their Significance Over Conventional Dosage Forms

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis is one of the most common auto-immune diseases that cause inflammation. It is characterized by pain, stiffness, tenderness, and swelling in joints, which may even lead to heart, lungs, or brain-related problems where age is the major factor involved, as around 55% older adults have been affected by it. Treatments including non-steroidal anti- inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) etc., that are modified and formulated as nanocarriers for enhanced bioavailability, majorly aim at enhancing the rate and extent of drug reaching the bloodstream such as solid-lipid nanoparticles, liposomes, polymeric- micelles, polymeric nanoparticles etc. are used in the management of rheumatoid arthritis. Methods: The following tools (Pubmed, Scopus, Google search engine, Google Scholar, Medline Search Engine, Elsevier) were used in the literature search. Results: Through the literature review, the development of nanocarrier shows a promising approach in the management of rheumatoid arthritis as compared to the conventional drug treatment such as biologic agents and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs etc. Conclusion: Rheumatoid Arthritis is a condition that occurs when the immune system, which normally helps to protect the body from infection and disease, attacks its own tissues. The disease causes pain, swelling as well as loss of function in joints. Therefore, life-long management is required by reducing the dose frequency and dosage regimen, which can be effectively approached by the development of a nano-carrier for significant drug uptake and low toxicity.