Title:Liposomes: An Emerging Approach for the Treatment of Cancer
Volume: 27
Issue: 20
Author(s): Keerti Mishra and Akhlesh K. Jain*
Affiliation:
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Guru Ghasidas Central University, Bilaspur- 495 009 (C.G.),India
Keywords:
Cancer, anti-cancer drugs, nanocarriers, drug delivery, liposomes, ligands, targeted therapy.
Abstract:
Background: Conventional drug delivery agents for a life-threatening disease, i.e., cancer, lack specificity
towards cancer cells, producing a greater degree of side effects in the normal cells with a poor therapeutic
index. These toxic side effects often limit dose escalation of anti-cancer drugs, leading to incomplete tumor suppression/
cancer eradication, early disease relapse, and ultimately, the development of drug resistance. Accordingly,
targeting the tumor vasculatures is essential for the treatment of cancer.
Objective: To search and describe a safer drug delivery carrier for the treatment of cancer with reduced systemic
toxicities.
Method: Data were collected from Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct using the following keywords:
‘liposomes’, ‘nanocarriers’, ‘targeted drug delivery’, ‘ligands’, ‘liposome for anti-cancerous drugs’,
‘treatment for cancer’ and ‘receptor targeting.’
Results: Liposomes have provided a safe platform for the targeted delivery of encapsulated anti-cancer drugs
for the treatment of cancer, which results in the reduction of the cytotoxic side effects of anti-cancer drugs on
normal cells.
Conclusion: Liposomal targeting is a better emerging approach as an advanced drug delivery carrier with targeting
ligands for anti-cancer agents.