Delivery of therapeutics using nanocarriers for targeting cancer cells and cancer stem cells

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Sangeetha Krishnamurthy1, Xiyu Ke, Yi Yan Yang

  • 1Institute of Bioengineering & Nanotechnology, 31 Biopolis Way, The Nanos, Singapore 138669, Singapore.

Nanomedicine (London, England)
|January 20, 2015
PubMed

Insights

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) drive tumor resistance and metastasis. Nanocarriers show promise in delivering targeted therapies to eliminate CSCs, potentially improving patient outcomes and reducing cancer recurrence.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Biomedical Engineering

Background:

  • Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are implicated in tumor resistance, relapse, and metastasis.
  • Targeting CSCs is crucial for improving patient survival rates.
  • Previous CSC-targeting strategies have shown limited success.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review nanocarrier-based therapeutic strategies for targeting cancer stem cells (CSCs).
  • To discuss the advantages and challenges of using nanocarriers in CSC-targeted cancer therapy.
  • To highlight the potential of nanocarrier-mediated CSC eradication in improving cancer treatment outcomes.

Main Methods:

  • Review of current literature on nanocarrier applications in cancer stem cell therapy.
  • Analysis of various therapeutic strategies utilizing nanocarriers to target CSCs.
  • Evaluation of the efficacy, advantages, and challenges associated with nanocarrier-based CSC targeting.

Main Results:

  • Nanocarriers have emerged as effective delivery systems for anti-CSC therapeutics.
  • Successful reduction of CSC populations at the tumor site has been demonstrated.
  • Various nanocarrier-based strategies show significant promise in preclinical and clinical settings.

Conclusions:

  • Nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery offers a promising approach to eradicate cancer stem cells.
  • Overcoming current challenges in nanocarrier technology is essential for clinical translation.
  • This modality holds profound potential for improving cancer treatment response and reducing metastasis and relapse.
Keywords:
cancer stem cellscancer therapydrug deliverygene deliverynanocarriersprotein delivery

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