Ligand-functionalized liposomal vesicles in breast cancer: advances in targeted nanotherapeutics

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Nanotechnology
• Drug Delivery

Background:

• Breast cancer (BC) is a prevalent malignancy with challenges in treatment efficacy due to molecular heterogeneity and resistance.
• Conventional therapies like chemotherapy face limitations including off-target toxicity and multidrug resistance.
• Liposomal nanocarriers enhance drug stability and tumor accumulation but have limited cellular uptake and penetration.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review ligand-functionalized liposomes for active targeting in breast cancer treatment.
• To explore recent advances in multifunctional liposomal systems for enhanced therapeutic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Literature screening using major scientific databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, Scopus).
• Focus on surface modification of liposomes with targeting ligands such as antibodies, peptides, aptamers, carbohydrates, and small molecules.
• Examination of dual-targeting, stimuli-responsive release, and combination therapy strategies.

Main Results:

• Ligand modification enables selective binding to overexpressed receptors on cancer cells, improving cellular uptake and intracellular drug delivery.
• Multifunctional systems demonstrate potential for dual targeting and stimuli-responsive drug release.
• Combination therapies integrated with ligand-functionalized liposomes show promise for synergistic effects.

Conclusions:

• Ligand-modified liposomes represent a promising strategy for enhancing therapeutic precision, pharmacokinetics, and safety in breast cancer treatment.
• These nanocarriers offer potential for targeted delivery, decreased toxicity, and improved therapeutic effects.
• Clinical translation requires addressing challenges like tumor heterogeneity, manufacturing scalability, and regulatory hurdles.