Nanocarriers for cancer-targeted drug delivery

• Published in: Journal of drug targeting Vol. 24; no. 3; pp. 179 - 191
• Main Authors: Kumari, Preeti, Ghosh, Balaram, Biswas, Swati
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 15.03.2016
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacokinetics; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical; Drug Carriers - administration & dosage; Drug Carriers - chemistry; Humans; Liposomes; Nanoparticles - administration & dosage; Nanoparticles - chemistry; Neoplasms - drug therapy; targeted drug delivery; targeted polymers; tumor targeting; targeted drug delivery; targeted polymers; tumor targeting; Liposomes
• ISSN: 1061-186X; 1029-2330; 1029-2330
• DOI: 10.3109/1061186X.2015.1051049

Nanoparticles as drug delivery system have received much attention in recent years, especially for cancer treatment. In addition to improving the pharmacokinetics of the loaded poorly soluble hydrophobic drugs by solubilizing them in the hydrophobic compartments, nanoparticles allowed cancer specific drug delivery by inherent passive targeting phenomena and adopted active targeting strategies. For this reason, nanoparticles-drug formulations are capable of enhancing the safety, pharmacokinetic profiles and bioavailability of the administered drugs leading to improved therapeutic efficacy compared to conventional therapy. The focus of this review is to provide an overview of various nanoparticle formulations in both research and clinical applications with a focus on various chemotherapeutic drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer. The use of various nanoparticles, including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, magnetic and other inorganic nanoparticles for targeted drug delivery in cancer is detailed.