Journal of Basic and Applied Research International

Microsponge delivery systems occupy a distinctive niche among particulate drug carriers, combining a porous, highly cross-linked polymeric architecture with the capacity to entrap, protect and gradually liberate a wide range of therapeutic agents. Unlike liposomes or polymeric nanoparticles, microsponges are mechanically robust, chemically inert across a broad pH range and amenable to incorporation into conventional dosage forms such as gels, creams, capsules and tablets. Over the past decade, the field has moved well beyond its original dermatological remit, extending into gastroretentive and colon-targeted oral delivery, ocular therapeutics, and, through the closely related cyclodextrin-based nanosponge platform, oncology and antimicrobial applications. This review synthesises the contemporary literature on microsponge design, preparation and evaluation, with particular attention to the physicochemical determinants of drug loading and release, the comparative merits of quasi-emulsion solvent diffusion and related fabrication techniques, and the clinical evidence supporting microencapsulated benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin formulations in acne management. The regulatory pathway for microsponge-based products, the expanding role of nanosponge variants in cancer drug delivery, and emerging computational approaches to formulation optimisation are also examined. The review concludes that microsponge technology has matured from a niche cosmetic tool into a versatile platform with demonstrable clinical benefit, while identifying scale-up reproducibility, standardised characterisation and long-term biocompatibility data as the principal barriers to broader translation.