Research progress of norcantharidin nanodrugs for tumor treatment

Globally, cancer remains a major cause of death, and although a range of therapeutic options are available, conventional approaches often encounter significant limitations. Norcantharidin (NCTD), a small molecule with a wide range of biological properties, holds great promise in the field of antitumor therapy, but its poor solubility and short half-life limit its clinical application. However, combining drug nanotechnology with the anti-tumor effect of NCTD can significantly improve its bioavailability as well as stability and targeting. This article reviews the main preparation methods for NCTD-based nanodrugs and their application progress in tumor therapy, including prodrug modification, encapsulation delivery, immunotherapy, combination therapy, and derivative expansion. Through an in-depth study of the related literature, it is found that NCTD nanodrugs have great research potential and broad clinical application prospects. With the continuous development of nanotechnology and biomedicine, the clinical application potential of such drugs will be further studied and discussed, and this exploration is expected to generate new strategies and methods for tumor treatment.