Nanomedicine for the Treatment of Pediatric Type 2 Diabetes: Progress, Challenges, and Translational Perspectives

Vollständiger Abstract

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ABSTRACT Pediatric type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is rapidly emerging as a critical global health concern, driven largely by rising childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Compared to adult‐onset disease, pediatric‐onset T2DM progresses more aggressively and is associated with early microvascular and cardiometabolic complications, placing substantial lifelong health burdens on affected children. Current pharmacotherapies including are limited by gastrointestinal intolerance, injection‐related distress, frequent dosing, and poor adherence among adolescents. These highlight an urgent need for therapeutic strategies that are both physiologically suited to the developing child and acceptable for long‐term use. Nanotechnology‐enabled delivery systems offer a promising solution by improving drug solubility, mucosal absorption, and metabolic stability while enabling controlled release and targeted tissue delivery, however, nearly all experimental evidence comes from adult animal models. Therefore, this review examines recent advances in nanocarriers for pediatric T2DM while explicitly acknowledging the critical evidence gap and lack of clinically tested nanomedicine‐based therapies in children. We evaluate polymeric, lipid, inorganic, and hybrid systems, and highlight translational challenges including the absence of pediatric trials, need for juvenile models, and safety considerations. By distinguishing preclinical proof‐of‐concept from the limited pediatric‐specific data, the review provides a roadmap for translating nanomedicine from bench to bedside for children with T2DM.