Lipid-Based Nanomaterials in Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis

Cancer consists of a wide range of diseases that are mainly driven by the continuous unregulated proliferation of cancer cells. Current treatment options include the use of chemotherapies, radiotherapy, and surgery. Recently, there was an increased interest in applying nanoparticles (NPs) in cancer diagnosis and treatment. NPs are materials in the size range 1 to 100 nm and can be classified based on their properties, shape, or size. They have attracted wide attention because of their versatile physicochemical properties, nanoscale sizes, high surface-to-volume ratios, favourable drug release profiles, and targeting modifications. Nanotechnology can be used to improve the personalisation of cancer diagnosis and treatment by enhancing the detection of cancer-specific biomarkers, imaging of tumours and their metastases, specific drug delivery to target cells, and real-time observation of treatment progression. This chapter will highlight the main types of lipid NPs with their preparation methods. The clinical applications of these lipid NPs in cancer diagnosis and treatment will be presented along with the currently approved drugs based on these NPs.

Keywords: Cancer diagnosis, Cancer treatment, Lipid nanoparticles, Liposomes, Micelles.