Cancer remains one of the most difficult to manage healthcare problems. The last two decades have been considered the golden age of cancer research, with major breakthroughs being announced on a regular basis. However, the major problem regarding cancer treatment is the incapability to selectively target cancer cells, with certain populations of tumors still remaining alive after treatment. The main focus of researchers is to develop treatments that are both effective and selective in targeting malignant cells. In this regard, bioavailability can be increased by overcoming the biological barriers encountered in the active agent’s pathway, creating carrier vehicles that have the ability to target malignant cells and effectively release the active agent. Since its appearance, nanomedicine has provided many answers to these challenges, but still, some expectations were not satisfied. In this review, we focused on the most recent developments in targeted drug delivery. Furthermore, a summary of different types of nanoparticles used to deliver active therapeutic agents in oncology is presented, along with details on the nanodrugs that were clinically approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), until April 2019.
In order to obtain antineoplastic compounds and innovative formulations, new technologies and testing methods are continuously being developed. Unfortunately, besides cancer cells, chemotherapy also affects normal cells. An option to avoid toxicity is represented by the targeted cancer treatment using novel pharmaceutical dosage forms. Liposomes represent a relatively new pharmaceutical dosage form, used for their many advantages. In this article, the methods of liposomal preparation are mentioned, along with the classification and the latest improvements involving this pharmaceutical form. The bioavailability of conventional liposomes is currently improved by developing photodynamic liposomes, pH or temperature sensitive liposomes and targeted liposomes.
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