Exploring mesoporous silica microparticles in pharmaceutical sciences: Drug delivery and therapeutic insights
Abstract
Nanotechnology has revolutionised pharmaceutical sciences, with mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) extensively studied as drug carriers. However, their clinical translation is hindered by challenges such as toxicity, tumour accumulation, and uncontrolled endocytosis. Mesoporous silica microparticles (MSMs) have emerged as a safer alternative, offering enhanced drug loading, controlled release, and improved formulation properties.
Highlights
- MSNs applications and limitations related to size, charge, and shape.
- MSMs offer enhanced drug delivery with controlled release and bioavailability.
- Surface modifications enable MSMs to target organs and cancerous tissues.
- MSMs improve solubility and stability of therapeutic compounds.
MSMs facilitate protein delivery, solubility enhancement, and bioavailability improvement through pore size modulation, amorphous drug loading, and surface functionalisation. Additionally, they aid in overcoming multi-drug resistance and enable organ-specific targeting using aptamers or magnetic nanoparticles. Beyond drug delivery, MSMs enhance pharmaceutical formulations, with commercial products such as SYLOID®, Aeroperl®, and Neusilin® improving tablet performance and drug stability.
Their role in controlled release systems further underscores their pharmaceutical potential. As research advances, MSMs offer promising strategies for precision medicine and optimised drug delivery, reinforcing their potential for future clinical applications.
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Table 1. The uses of MSM-based carriers and their morphological properties (particle size, surface area, and pore size).
| MSM Carrier | Uses | |
| SYLOID Family | ED3 | Controlling arthropods |
| ED5 | ||
| XDP 3050 | Octreotide and BSA delivery, stearic acid functionalised carrier, S-SEDDSs tablets, enhancing dissolution (furosemide, felodipine, phenylbutazone, and neratinib maleate) | |
| XDP 3150 | Enhancing dissolution of phenylbutazone and silymarin | |
| Al-1 FP | Enhancing dissolution of (taxifolin, gemfibrozil, phenylbutazone, and artemether) | |
| 72 FP | Enhancing drug amorphosiation and the dissolution of gemfibrozil. | |
| 244 FP | Sublingual tablets of zolmitriptan, enhancing ketoprofen tablet properties, liquisolid-based compacts, S-SEDDSs tablets, and enhancing dissolution of (gemfibrozil and artemether) | |
| MCM-41 | Fortifying yoghurt with folic acid, octyl methoxycinnamate loading for sunscreen protection, and targeting applications (budesonide for colon targeting, carvacrol and thymol for magnetic targeting) | |
| Neusilin® | Tablets (MSM-based composites, liquisolid-based compacts, and solidifying zafirlukast-based SMEDDS) | |
| Aeroperl® | Tablets (MSM-based composites, preventing sticking to compression punch, and liquisolid-based tablets) | |
| Aerosil® | Enhancing ketoprofen tablet properties and liquisolid-based tablets | |
| Spheres | Sub-micro | Efficient separation of histidine-tagged proteins |
| Silica sub-micro | Improve solubility of an anti-cancer agent: 7-phenyl-3H-pyrrolo [3,2-f] quinolin-9 (6H)-one | |
| micro | Silver phosphate and pectin microspheres loaded with levofloxacin | |
| Thermal | Oxidised | Improving indomethacin dissolution and permeability |
| Carbonised | Improve the in vivo permeation of furosemide | |
| Thermohydro | For the in vivo delivery of lys-GHRP6 (a ghrelin antagonist) | |
| Organised porous | NFM-1 | In vivo dissolution enhancement of atazanavir |
| AMS-6 | ||
| STA-11 | ||
| Functionalised | Chitosan | Enhance the stability and photoprotective efficacy of octyl methoxycinnamate |
| MSMs | Poly (acrylic acid) | pH triggered release of indigo carmine |
| Fe3O4 | For thrombosis treatment and controlled drug release | |
| Smart gated | For the delivery of safranin/hydrocortisone | |
| Calcium bioactive | Doxorubicin delivery | |
| Lipid linker | Oxidation-triggered release of doxorubicin | |
Mohamad Anas Al Tahan, Mandeep Marwah, Hind El-Zein, Sana Al Tahan, Lissette Snchez-Aranguren, Exploring mesoporous silica microparticles in pharmaceutical sciences: Drug delivery and therapeutic insights, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2025, 125656, ISSN 0378-5173, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpharm.2025.125656.
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