This review elaborates the recent developments in the cationic cyclodextrin-mediated delivery of drugs and nucleic acids. Cationic cyclodextrin-based delivery systems have been extensively employed for the delivery of anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial drugs; however, limited data are available for antidiabetic drug delivery. During most of these studies, cationic cyclodextrins improved drug solubility, stability, and permeability across biological membranes and ensured site-specific drug release, resulting in outstanding therapeutic outcomes. Cationic cyclodextrin-based delivery systems have also been employed for nucleic acid delivery, including pDNA, miRNA, siRNA, etc. Cationic cyclodextrins showed efficient nucleic condensation and improved transfection efficiency while maintaining high cell viability as compared to commercially available vectors such as PEI25 kDa and lipofectamine 2000. Moreover, cationic cyclodextrins have also shown promising potential for the co-delivery of genes and drugs such as methothrexate and docetaxel and various plasmids.
Nazli A, Malanga M, Sohajda T, Béni S. Cationic Cyclodextrin-Based Carriers for Drug and Nucleic Acid Delivery. Pharmaceutics. 2025 Jan 9;17(1):81. doi: 10.3390/pharmaceutics17010081.