Nanocarriers as Potential Targeted Drug Delivery for Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Cancer is a disease characterized by the uncontrolled growth of cells and is the leading cause of death worldwide with an incidence of 11 million new cases each year. Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have received much attention for cancer treatment. Nanocarriers are the delivery systems which are prepared by alteration of the size (1–1000 nm) and shape of a material to the nano-range level. Nanocarriers are prepared by utilizing natural, polymeric, inorganic magnetic silica-based materials. Various nanocarriers including liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, magnetic nanoparticles, and other inorganic nanoparticles have been investigated for diagnostic, therapeutic, and drug targeting in cancer therapy. Nanocarriers act as a cancer-specific drug delivery or diagnostic agent by inherent passive targeting mechanism or adopted active targeting strategies by altering the surface properties with specific ligands. Targeted nanoparticulate systems increase the accumulation of the chemotherapeutic agent in the tumor tissue and reduce the toxicity to healthy cells. Nanocarriers extend the drug release for a longer duration and protect the drug from degradation. Nanocarriers are also proven effective for improving the pharmacokinetics of poorly soluble hydrophobic drugs by solubilizing or permeating them through lipophilic biological barriers.