Lolita Kuršvietienė, Robertas Lažauskas, Inga Stanevičienė
The development of effective delivery systems remains an important challenge in modern pharmaceutical and biomedical research, driving the development of biocompatible materials with versatile functional properties. This review provides an integrated overview of chitosan-based delivery systems, focusing on chitosan nanoparticles, chitosan derivatives, and hybrid systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between the structural and functional characteristics of chitosan-based systems and their potential applications in pharmaceutical and biomedical fields. In addition to established applications, emerging approaches involving nucleic acid delivery, gene therapy, theranostics, and other biomedical applications are discussed. A further focus of this review is the consideration of critical quality attributes relevant to the development of GMP-oriented chitosan-based systems, providing a perspective that links material characteristics with quality and translational requirements. By integrating these aspects, this review highlights the versatility of chitosan as a platform for the development of innovative pharmaceutical and biomedical delivery technologies.