Trends in Nanotechnology to improve therapeutic efficacy across special structures

Abstract

Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Its treatment has become a horrible dream for researchers. Although different approaches have been used to treat cancers and significant progress has been made in various aspects. Nevertheless, the outcomes of clinical trials are encouraging for eradicating tumor without causing harmful effects. Targeted therapies have demonstrated promising results in terms of off-target toxicity and have pushed definite restrictions. Nanotechnology has assisted to address these concerns. However, biological barriers inside human body are interfering with their successful delivery. Blood-brain barriers, pleural fluid, and mucins on mucous membranes are among the most critical biological barriers that hinder the targeted delivery of nanoparticles. Besides biological barriers, various other characteristics are also responsible for the reduced efficacy of nanotherapeutics. The synthesis of optimized nanoparticles s systematically has provided new insights to overcome various barriers. Functionalization of nanoparticles with various biological molecules and/or doping with certain mucolytic enzymes has shown better results and offered promising platform for the successful delivery of nanodrug carrier to the target site. Surface modified nanoparticles can reach the tumor core more effectively. There has been significant progress in recent years to target the tumor microenvironment in this way. Given their significance, this review summarizes the barriers in drug delivery and provides an overview of various approaches to address issues in drug delivery.