Abstract

Despite the major advancements in cancer treatment, colon cancer (CC) is still one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Among various type of cancer, it is the third largest prevailing kind of cancer affecting both men and women equally. Metastatic development is particularly common in individuals with advanced stages and frequently associated with subpar response of chemotherapy and severe morbidity. The unfavorable effects of intense chemotherapy on normal cells and emergence of multidrug resistance are the two main reasons for treatment failure. Recent research in nanotechnology enables the use of advanced natural and synthetic biomaterials alone or in combination to target cancer cells with anticancer medications without affecting healthy cells. Anticancer drug laden nanocarriers improve the drug distribution, bioavailability and accumulation of cytotoxic therapeutic concentration at tumor site along with reduced side effects. Additionally, upon oral administration, polymeric vehicles shield the medication from premature release, degradation in upper gastrointestinal tract and facilitate controlled release at cancerous site of colon. Here, we primarily focus on the present situation and possible advantages of polymeric biomaterials either owned or in conjunction with other therapeutics to develop ideal drug carrier systems to treat colon carcinoma.

Keywords: Colon cancer, biomaterials, drug carrier, nanocarriers, controlled release.