Abstract

THE IMPACT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN ACHIEVING SITESPECIFIC DRUG IMPACT OF NANOTECHNOLOGY AGAINST CANCER: AN EVALUATION OF SITE-SPECIFIC DELIVERY OF NANOMATERIALS FOR CANCER CELL TARGETING

Ghassan Elagib and LV Huixia*

Abstract

Nanotechnology is serving as an alternative way to overcome several limitations of conventional anti-cancer therapy in recent times. Among various nanosystems intended to annihilate cancer cells, just a predetermined number of them have undergone clinical trials. It is expected that progress in the development of nanotechnology-based anti-cancer drugs will give present day, individualized cancer therapies guaranteeing low morbidity and mortality. One significant aspect of cancer therapy is the site-specificity of the nanodrugs. There has been several attempts to design drugs in a way which enhances the drug’s targeting potential while keeping the side effects very low. This review paper seeks to discuss nanotechnology for targeted drug delivery systems addressing challenges facing the fight against cancer therapy. We also offer a general summary of the advantages and challenges with general classes of drug delivery systems. Herein, we will further explore the novel strategies for targeted drug delivery and the advantages of using nanotechnology-based delivery techniques for cancer therapy and diagnosis. A discussion on ligands, receptors and advanced drug targeting will be presented in this review. Overall, this paper aims to provide a concise source of literature for drug delivery researchers.

Keywords: Conventional anti-cancer therapy, individualized cancer therapies, sitespecificity, targeted drug delivery.