Cisplatin meets liposomes for a smarter delivery: A review

Effective treatment of tumors remains a significant clinical challenge even for approved anticancer drugs such as cisplatin, whose chemotherapy is hindered by inherent toxicity, rapidly acquired resistance, and nonselective mode of action. In the past years, nanodelivery systems have emerged as a key strategy to overcome these limitations due to their potential to improve drug safety, bioavailability, and efficacy. Among various nanostructures applied as carriers for the delivery of cisplatin, liposomes have undergone intensive testing, with the outcome of being advanced to clinical trials. This fact not only triggers further research endeavors toward developing improved liposomal formulations but also makes it timely to highlight recent trends and strategies, showcasing the evolution and application of cisplatin-liposome systems. The present review is aimed at a critical analysis of fabrication, encapsulation, stability testing, release, and cell/animal experimental procedures, focusing on the analytical methodology used to feature these essential practices and providing insights that may help enhance the efficacy of cisplatin chemotherapy.