Abstract

This review article gives a brief account of advances in the treatment of cancer via nanodelivery systems. We have discussed benefits of different nanocarriers that have the potential to deal with the problem of non-selectivity of conventional anticancer drugs. Targeted drug delivery not only spares healthy cells from harmful effects of anticancer drugs but also reduces the amount of drug to be administered; various drug delivery systems have been fabricated using appropriate nanocarriers. In fact, some carrier systems are biodegradable and degrade in the body into nontoxic moieties, thereby adding safety characteristics to the formulation. Selectivity towards cancer cells makes nanodelivery system a choice for the treatment of cancer as compared to conventional drug delivery. This review discusses various targeting strategies, different nanodelivery systems, characteristics required to be an ideal drug delivery system, advantages of these systems, and future prospects of such systems.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, cancer targeting, biodegradable polymer, chemotherapy, nanodelivery, EPR.