Niosomes: A Versatile Nanocarrier for Drug Delivery Applications

Abstract

Niosomes are vesicular systems formed primarily from non - ionic surfactants. They have gained attention as multifunctional tools for targeted and controlled drug delivery. These carriers can encapsulate both hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, offer good stability and biocompatibility, and typically cost less to produce than certain alternatives such as liposomes. By fine tuning their composition, niosomes can provide specialized release profiles that enhance pharmacokinetics while lowering systemic toxicity. In recent decades, multiple studies have explored the structural features, chemical bases, and manufacturing methods of niosomes, illustrating their wide applicability in diverse fields   including cancer therapy, vaccine delivery, chronic disease management, and cosmeceutical products. Despite these noteworthy benefits, challenges remain, particularly in terms of formulation stability, drug leakage, and large scale manufacturing. Emerging developments in stimuli responsive and ligand functionalized niosomes open doors for precision medicine, accelerating the transfer of niosome based concepts from bench to clinical settings. This paper delves into niosomes’ structure, composition, classification, fabrication processes, release mechanisms, advantages, and therapeutic uses. It also addresses limitations that have restricted widespread adoption, then explores ongoing advances aimed at overcoming these hurdles. The objective is to guide researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals in fully exploiting the capabilities of niosome based systems for contemporary drug delivery solutions.