Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: Vital Characteristics and Prospective Applications in Cancer Treatment

Cancer nanotechnology is a new field of interdisciplinary research cutting across biology, chemistry, engineering, and medicine, aiming to lead to major advances in cancer treatment. Over the past several years, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have attracted the interest of researchers due to their ability to overcome the limitations of classic chemotherapeutics. We reviewed the most recent data on the therapeutic use of SLNs in oncology, presenting their main advantages and disadvantages, along with various production methods and different routes of administration. In accordance with these aspects, the long-term physical stability, the controlled release of the loaded drugs, and the efficient targeted delivery of drugs as methods of surpassing the pharmaceutical limitations of anticancer drugs, natural products and gene therapy have been discussed. In addition, we have also emphasized briefly the crosstalk between SLNs and the new trend in oncology, immunotherapy, as future possible antineoplastic treatment, especially in melanoma. This review highlights the potential of SLNs in providing very positive perspectives for future cancer treatment by improving the efficiency of present chemotherapy and reducing its side effects. SLNs allow targeted delivery of anticancer drugs and could improve the efficiency of current chemotherapy in neoplasia.