Advancements in Smart Vesicular Carriers: A Shift from Lipoidal to Non-Lipoidal Drug Delivery Systems

Vesicular drug delivery systems have revolutionized pharmaceutical technology by enhancing therapeutic efficacy, improving drug stability, and enabling targeted and controlled release. Among them, lipoidal and non-lipoidal vesicles represent two distinct yet complementary approaches in nanocarrier design. Lipoidal vesicles, such as liposomes, ethosomes, and transfersomes, are primarily composed of phospholipids and mimic biological membranes, offering excellent biocompatibility and encapsulation of lipophilic drugs. In contrast, non-lipoidal vesicular systems, including polymersomes, dendrimers, and other polymer-based carriers, utilize synthetic or natural polymers to achieve greater structural stability, tunable release profiles, and enhanced physicochemical versatility.