Polymeric Nanoparticles that Entrap Drug Combinations Targeted to Solid Tumors

Abstract

AbstractCancer causes millions of deaths. Cancer occurs in almost any body organ when abnormal cells grow rapidly and spread to other tissues and organs. Cancer development is induced by genetic and cellular level abnormalities that facilitate tumour proliferation. Chemotherapy is a common curative method for cancer treatment. Conventional chemotherapeutic drugs are non-selective, have a short circulation half-life, and cause side effects. These shortcomings can be solved by using polymeric nanoparticles, which are effective as drug delivery agents with unique physicochemical properties that allow them to carry drugs with high efficacy, proper penetration and efficient targeting. Polymeric nanoparticles have unique sizes that help to target different types of cancer, and to release the drug into the cancerous cells. Polymeric nanoparticles have been recently used to entrap drug combinations that are more efficient than single drug nanosystems. This chapter reviews combinational therapy, polymer-based nanoparticles with entrapped combination of drugs, and the mechanism of the drug delivery towards solid tumours by active and passive targeting. Recent innovations, applications and future progress in cancer therapy using multiple drug regimens are also discussed.KeywordsPolymeric nanoparticleCombination of drug therapySolid tumorsActive and passive targeting