ABSTRACT:
Microspheres are sophisticated microparticulate systems designed for regulated medication delivery, offering significant therapeutic advantages by improving drug bioavailability while minimizing systemic toxicity and adverse effects. Their polymeric composition enables precise drug release and site-specific targeting, making them particularly valuable in the management of Helicobacter pylori-associated peptic ulcer disease (PUD). H. pylori, a gram-negative gastric pathogen infecting nearly half the global population, is the primary etiological agent of peptic ulceration and gastric carcinogenesis. Conventional antibiotic-based triple and quadruple therapies face significant limitations including antibiotic resistance, poor mucosal drug concentration, and patient non-compliance. Microsphere-based gastroretentive drug delivery systems — including floating, mucoadhesive, and bioadhesive formulations — offer a compelling strategy to overcome these barriers by prolonging gastric residence time, sustaining drug release at the site of infection, and enhancing eradication efficacy. Preparation methods such as emulsion solvent evaporation, spray-drying, phase separation, and ionotropic gelation are employed to engineer microspheres with desired physicochemical characteristics. Though challenges such as variable drug release rates and potential polymer toxicity remain, ongoing advancements in biocompatibility, targeting, and multifunctionality continue to expand the clinical potential of microspheres for individualized and effective anti-H. pylori therapy.