Cancer nanomedicine: a review of nano-therapeutics and challenges ahead

Abstract

Cancer is known as the most dangerous disease in the world in terms of mortality and lack of effective treatment. Research on cancer treatment is still active and of great social importance. Since 1930, chemotherapeutics have been used to treat cancer. However, such conventional treatments are associated with pain, side effects, and a lack of targeting. Nanomedicines are an emerging alternative due to their targeting, bioavailability, and low toxicity. Nanoparticles target cancer cells via active and passive mechanisms. Since FDA approval for Doxil®, several nano-therapeutics have been developed, and a few have received approval for use in cancer treatment. Along with liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, and nanoemulsions, even newer techniques involving extracellular vesicles (EVs) and thermal nanomaterials are now being researched and implemented in practice. This review highlights the evolution and current status of cancer therapy, with a focus on clinical/pre-clinical nanomedicine cancer studies. Insight is also provided into the prospects in this regard.

Fig. 1. The global incidence of cancer in 2020. Source: World Health Organization.

Fig. 2. Timeline of cancer nanomedicine.

Fig. 3. Passive targeting.

Fig. 4. Active targeting.

Fig. 5. Modern approaches of nanomedicine in cancer therapy. TAMs: tumor associated macrophages. Parts of the figure were drawn using pictures from Servier Medical Art. Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

M. Joyce Nirmala

Uma Kizhuveetil

Athira Johnson

Balaji G

Ramamurthy Nagarajan

Vignesh Muthuvijayan