Chapter 20 - Drug delivery systems in cancer therapy

Abstract

Advancements in our understanding of the complex process of tumorigenesis have uncovered the many challenges faced by current systemic therapeutic options for the treatment of cancer. Drug delivery systems (DDS), particularly in the context of nanomedicine, have demonstrated a remarkable ability to overcome many of the physiological challenges associated with the delivery of hydrophobic chemotherapeutic agents to the tumor site while reducing associated toxicity and sparing healthy tissues. The highly tunable physicochemical characteristics of nanoparticles, such as shape, size, and functionalization, have allowed for the development of “smart” nanoparticles that utilize passive, active, and stimuli-responsive targeting strategies to improve drug delivery efficacy. Here, the complex tumorigenic landscape is described to highlight key features that have contributed to the challenges of current conventional therapies. A focus will include how nanomedicine has been able to exploit these same features to enhance drug delivery. The features of nanoparticles are discussed on how to make them optimal drug delivery systems for cancer, highlighting different types of organic and inorganic nanoparticles and their characteristics that make them promising drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.