Chitosan-based nanodelivery systems for cancer therapy: Recent advances

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Oncology

Background:

• Cancer remains a leading global health issue, with conventional therapies exhibiting significant limitations like low efficacy and severe side effects.
• Current cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy often lack specificity, leading to widespread toxicity.
• Novel therapeutic strategies are crucial to improve cancer treatment outcomes and minimize patient suffering.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the properties, preparation, and modification of chitosan (CS)-based nanodelivery systems for cancer therapy.
• To highlight the potential of CS nanoparticles in overcoming the limitations of conventional cancer treatments.
• To explore the application of CS nanoparticles in both passive and active cancer targeting strategies.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on chitosan nanoparticle synthesis and characterization.
• Analysis of the physicochemical properties of chitosan nanoparticles relevant to drug delivery.
• Examination of various strategies for incorporating chitosan nanoparticles into cancer treatment protocols.

Main Results:

• Chitosan nanoparticles exhibit favorable characteristics for drug delivery, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, and mucoadhesiveness.
• These nanoparticles demonstrate high drug loading capacity and controlled release profiles.
• CS nanoparticles can be engineered for both passive (EPR effect) and active (receptor-mediated, stimuli-responsive) targeting of cancer cells.

Conclusions:

• Chitosan nanoparticles represent a versatile and effective platform for developing advanced cancer nanomedicines.
• Their unique properties facilitate targeted drug delivery, potentially improving therapeutic efficacy and reducing systemic toxicity.
• Further research into CS-based nanodelivery systems holds significant promise for innovative cancer diagnosis and treatment.