Liposomal nanomedicines as anticancer therapeutics: beyond targeting tumor cells

Tumor cells have long been the primary target cell type of liposomes for anticancer therapy. At present, it appears that tumor growth and metastasis is facilitated by interactions between tumor cells and supporting cells. These supporting cells consist of adaptive and innate immune cells, endothelial cells, pericytes, fibroblasts, stromal and mesenchymal cells. Insight into the activity of these cells and communication between these cells has provided new tactics for targeting alternative cell types in tumor treatment and offered new drug classes that could be used to modulate the activity of these supporting cells. Here, we provide an overview of liposomal systems that have been designed to target supporting cells in tumor tissue and therapeutic results of these systems.