Nanocarriers in advanced drug targeting: setting novel paradigm in cancer therapeutics

Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol. 2018 Aug;46(5):873-884. doi: 10.1080/21691401.2017.1366333. Epub 2017 Aug 22.

Abstract

Cancer has been growing nowadays consequently high number of death ascertained worldwide. The medical intervention involves chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgical removal. This conventional technique lacking targeting potential and harm the normal cells. In drug treatment regimen, the combination therapy is preferred than single drug treatment module due to higher internalization of chemotherapeutics in the cancer cells both by enhance permeation retention effect and by direct cell apoptosis. The cancer therapeutics involves different methodologies of delivering active moiety to the target site. The active and passive transport mode of chemotherapeutic targeting utilizes advance nanocarriers. The nanotechnological strategic treatment applying advance nanocarrier greatly helps in mitigating the cancer prevalence. The nanocarrier-incorporating nanodrug directed for specific area appealed scientist across the globe and issues to be addressed in this regard. Therefore, various techniques and approaches invented to meet the objectives. With the advances in nanomedicine and drug delivery, this review briefly focused on various modes of nanodrug delivery including nanoparticles, liposomes, dendrimer, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, metallic nanoparticles, nanolipid carrier (NLC), gold nanoshell, nanosize cantilevers and nanowire that looks promising and generates a novel horizon in cancer therapeutics.

Keywords: Drug targeting; cancer therapeutics; nanocarrier; nanotechnology.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry*
  • Drug Delivery Systems / methods*
  • Humans
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*

Substances

  • Drug Carriers