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Ligand conjugated lipid-based nanocarriers for cancer theranostics
Rahul Kumar1, Daphika S Dkhar1, Rohini Kumari1
1School of Biochemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
Abstract:
Cancer is one of the major health-related issues affecting the population worldwide and subsequently accounts for the second-largest death. Genetic and epigenetic modifications in oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes affect the regulatory systems that lead to the initiation and progression of cancer. Conventional methods, including chemotherapy/radiotherapy/appropriate combinational therapy and surgery, are being widely used for theranostics of cancer patients. Surgery is useful in treating localized tumors, but it is ineffective in treating metastatic tumors, which spread to other organs and result in a high recurrence rate and death. Also, the therapeutic application of free drugs is related to substantial issues such as poor absorption, solubility, bioavailability, high degradation rate, short shelf-life, and low therapeutic index. Therefore, these issues can be sorted out using nano lipid-based carriers (NLBCs) as promising drug delivery carriers. Still, at most, they fail to achieve site-targeted drug delivery and detection. This can be achieved by selecting a specific ligand/antibody for its cognate receptor molecule expressed on the surface of the cancer cells. In this review, we have mainly discussed the various types of ligands used to decorate NLBCs. A list of the ligands used to design nanocarriers to target malignant cells has been extensively undertaken. The approved ligand-decorated lipid-based nanomedicines with their clinical status have been explained in tabulated form to provide a wider scope to the readers regarding ligand-coupled NLBCs.
Insights
Targeted cancer therapy is improved using ligand-decorated nano lipid-based carriers (NLBCs). This review details ligands that enhance NLBCs for precise cancer cell targeting and detection, overcoming conventional treatment limitations.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nanotechnology
- Drug Delivery
Background:
- Cancer remains a leading global health concern, with metastasis driving high mortality rates.
- Conventional cancer therapies face limitations in efficacy, particularly for metastatic disease.
- Free drug delivery exhibits poor pharmacokinetics, including low bioavailability and stability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review various ligands used for decorating nano lipid-based carriers (NLBCs).
- To explore the potential of ligand-conjugated NLBCs for targeted cancer therapy and detection.
- To provide an overview of ligand-decorated nanomedicines and their clinical status.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on ligands for NLBCs targeting cancer cells.
- Compilation of ligands designed for malignant cell targeting nanocarriers.
- Tabulation of approved ligand-decorated lipid-based nanomedicines and their clinical progression.
Main Results:
- Identified diverse ligands capable of targeting cancer cells when conjugated to NLBCs.
- Highlighted the challenges in achieving site-specific drug delivery with conventional NLBCs.
- Presented a comprehensive overview of ligand-coupled NLBCs, including clinical data.
Conclusions:
- Ligand decoration is crucial for enhancing the site-targeting and detection capabilities of NLBCs.
- Ligand-conjugated NLBCs offer a promising strategy to overcome limitations of conventional cancer treatments.
- Further development and clinical evaluation of ligand-decorated nanomedicines are warranted for improved cancer theranostics.
