Recent advances in LDH-based nanosystems for cancer therapy

Abstract

Cancer has become one of the greatest causes of death around the world. The treatment of cancer still remains a great problem. With recent advances made in the field of nanotechnology, layered double hydroxide (LDH)-based nanosystems have drawn special attention because of their good biocompatibility, pH-dependent biodegradability, anion exchange capacity, easy surface modification and high chemical stability, giving rise to great potential for cancer therapy. In the past decade, LDH-based nanosystems have been constructed for various cancer therapies. However, few review articles have described these important and promising achievements to promote the further development of LDH and its nanocomposites. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview on the recent developments in LDH and its nanocomposites as powerful nanosystems for diverse cancer therapies, which is divided into five parts: chemotherapy, phototherapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy and combination therapy. This review also outlines future perspectives and current challenges in LDH and its nanocomposites for cancer therapy.