Abstract
The tremendous contribution of nanotechnology to the treatment and diagnosis of medical diseases has recently attracted the attention of anticancer researchers. Most of the new nanoparticle carriers haveimproved drug bioavailability and reduced the cytotoxic effects of the drugs. This article presents an overview of the recent advances of nanotechnology in cancer therapy. It covers the mechanisms of cellular uptake for anticancer drugs delivered in nanoscale systems by either active or passive targeting.The various nanoscale systems employed in drug delivery and their immense potential in diagnosis and imaging of cancerous tumors are also addressed.Keywords: Nanocarriers, Drug delivery, Liposomes, Micelles, Dendrimers, Emulsification systems
Highlights
Cancer is considered one of the most common causes of death all over the world [1]
Various methods have been employed to couple ligands to the surface of the nanocarriers with reactive groups
The types of nanocarrier systems covered in this review article include liposomes, micelles, emulsification systems and dendrimers
Summary
Cancer is considered one of the most common causes of death all over the world [1]. In spite of the research advances in anticancer therapy, higher mortality rates are still associated more with the adverse side effects of therapeutic intervention than the cancer itself [2]. Internalization of nanomedicines into the target cells can occur via a diverse range of endocytic pathways including phagocytosis, macropinocytosis, clathrin-mediated endocytosis, and non–clathrin-mediated, such as, caveolae-mediated endocytosis Another proposed mechanism of the cellular uptake that recently has gained interest is overcoming drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy by using nano-scale delivery systems [5]. Major mechanisms that have been proposed include enhanced intracellular concentration of the drug by endocytosis, inhibition of multidrug resistance proteins by carrier component materials such as Pluronic block copolymers, adhesion of nanoparticles to the cell surface, promotion of other uptake mechanisms such as receptor-mediated cellular internalization, and increased drug concentrations at the vicinity of target cancer cells. Doxorubicin and cyclosporine A, encapsulated in polyalkylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles have been discovered to reverse resistance synergistically [6]
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