Antioxidant Polymer Nanomaterials for Treatment of Type I Diabetes (T1D)

ABSTRACT Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) is a chronic autoimmune disorder with rising incidence around the world. Oxidative stress is a key component involved in life‐threatening diabetic complications, as well as islet graft rejection. Studies in vitro and in vivo reveal the antidiabetic potential of antioxidant nanomaterials as alternative T1D therapies. Still, the effectiveness of current delivery systems faces challenges related to low antioxidant bioavailability, namely due to non‐specific uptake, limited tissue penetration, fast systemic clearance, premature degradation, and non‐sustained mechanisms of release. Some nanomaterials can paradoxically induce oxidative stress and immunogenic responses that enhance inflammation. This review highlights antioxidant polymeric nanomaterials with programmed bioactive features to improve immunoprotection and enhance pharmacological properties of current antidiabetic therapies. Research related to antioxidant polymeric nanomaterials for various T1D therapies is discussed, including improved survival and function of islet and β‐cell grafts, enhanced delivery of antidiabetic treatments using polyphenolic nanomaterials, and targeted delivery and co‐delivery of insulin‐based therapies. Nevertheless, immediate challenges exist regarding the translation of antioxidant polymeric nanomaterials to the clinical setting, so future studies should address critical aspects that remain underreported, including safety and toxicity, material selection (i.e., synthetic vs. natural polymers), and scalability of these delivery systems as alternative T1D therapies.