title: Oral films as breakthrough tools for oral delivery of proteins/peptides.
abstract: Therapeutic proteins and peptides demonstrate unique, peerless, pharmacological characteristics such as high specificity to receptors and superior biological mimicking of physiological mechanisms, resulting in a better therapeutic index compared to conventional chemical-derived drugs. However, proteins also present inherent bioavailability limitations. Thus, this paper proposes several effective tools to improve protein/peptide drugs stability, permeability and pharmacokinetics with special emphasis on oral polymeric films as oral delivery platforms. Indeed, oral films present inherent characteristics that can greatly enhance biological performance of proteins and peptides and patient compliance along with other advantages that are critically discussed in this review. A rational choice of excipients addressed in and manufacture processes are also focused. In addition, possible toxicity issues to be overtaken and critical analysis regarding current market tendencies respecting oral films and protein/peptides along with future prospects are disclosed.
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal; CESPU, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Rua Central de Gandra 1317, 4585-116 Gandra-PRD, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.affiliation: CESPU, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Rua Central de Gandra 1317, 4585-116 Gandra-PRD, Portugal; REQUIMTE, Department of Chemical Sciences - Applied Chemistry Lab, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fonte
authors.affiliation: CESPU, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Rua Central de Gandra 1317, 4585-116 Gandra-PRD, Portugal.
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana Raquel
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Madureira
authors.affiliation: CESPU, Instituto de Investigação e Formação Avançada em Ciências e Tecnologias da Saúde, Rua Central de Gandra 1317, 4585-116 Gandra-PRD, Portugal; Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal; INEB - Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Sarmento
authors.affiliation: CBQF - Centro de Biotecnologia e Química Fina - Laboratório Associado, Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, Universidade Católica Portuguesa/Porto, Rua Arquiteto Lobão Vital Apartado 2511, 4202-401 Porto, Portugal. Electronic address: mpintado@porto.ucp.pt.
authors.forename: Manuela E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pintado
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001688:Biological Products / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010455:Peptides / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D004337:Drug Carriers; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins
keywords: Bioactive peptides; Bioactive proteins; Bioavailability enhancement; Oral delivery; Oral films; Stability