Nanoparticles for Targeted Drug Delivery Systems with Cancer Therapy in Perspective

Cancer is a lethal disease and is one of the leading causes of morbidity worldwide. Chemotherapy is successful to combat cancer but medical applicability of many chemotherapeutic agents is limited by the non-specific targeting of malignant cells, leading to unwanted side effects. Nanoparticles (NPs) are well-established nano-carriers that can protect drugs from enzymatic degradation and unspecific release in the circulatory system, and deliver it into tumor cells which can modulate pharmacokinetic parameters and therapeutic efficacy of a drug. NPs represent a successful strategy toward targeted drug delivery to treat cancer. The specific characteristics of NPs include biodegradability, non-toxicity, biocompatibility, prolonged circulation time, and a wide range of drug encapsulation capacities. Owing to its small size and spherical shape, it can encapsulate a higher amount of drug and deliver it specifically to the target size, either by passive or by active targeting, and reduce the drug-associated toxicity. Conjugation of specific ligands on the surface of NPs can enhance therapeutic efficacy and reduce unwanted side effects of the drug.