Abstract
Chemotherapy at present remains the main form of treatment for cancer, though there is no clinically available antineoplastic drug that acts selectively on the tumor mass. For this reason, the scientific research is focused towards the development of novel cancer therapies and drug delivery strategies, like drug targeting, that would enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs while reducing their side toxicity. This review describes tree types of nanoparticles used in active targeting for cancer treatment: liposomes, lipid and polymer nanoparticles, and micelles. The opportunities and challenges achieved by the proposed strategies of active targeting have been highlighted, as well as the necessity to conciliate the targeting efficiency of drug nanocarriers with their longevity in the bloodstream.
Keywords: Cancer, drug targeting, controlled drug delivery, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, SLN, nanoparticles, micelles, lipid nanocapsules (LNC)
Current Drug Delivery
Title:Active Targeting Strategies for Anticancer Drug Nanocarriers
Volume: 9 Issue: 3
Author(s): Livia Basile, Rosario Pignatello and Catherine Passirani
Affiliation:
Keywords: Cancer, drug targeting, controlled drug delivery, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, SLN, nanoparticles, micelles, lipid nanocapsules (LNC)
Abstract: Chemotherapy at present remains the main form of treatment for cancer, though there is no clinically available antineoplastic drug that acts selectively on the tumor mass. For this reason, the scientific research is focused towards the development of novel cancer therapies and drug delivery strategies, like drug targeting, that would enhance the therapeutic efficacy of drugs while reducing their side toxicity. This review describes tree types of nanoparticles used in active targeting for cancer treatment: liposomes, lipid and polymer nanoparticles, and micelles. The opportunities and challenges achieved by the proposed strategies of active targeting have been highlighted, as well as the necessity to conciliate the targeting efficiency of drug nanocarriers with their longevity in the bloodstream.
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Cite this article as:
Basile Livia, Pignatello Rosario and Passirani Catherine, Active Targeting Strategies for Anticancer Drug Nanocarriers, Current Drug Delivery 2012; 9 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720112800389089
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720112800389089 |
Print ISSN 1567-2018 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5704 |
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