Research Progress and Prospect of Nanoplatforms for Treatment of Oral Cancer

Abstract

Oral cancers refer to malignant tumors associated with high morbidity and mortality, and oral squamous cell carcinoma accounts for the majority of cases. It is an important part of head and neck, and oral cancer is one of the six most common cancers in the world. At present, the traditional treatment methods for oral cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. However, these methods have many disadvantages. In recent years, nanomedicine, the delivery of drugs through nanoplatforms for the treatment of cancer, has become a promising substitutive therapy. The use of nanoplatforms can reduce the degradation of the drug in the body and accurately deliver it to the tumor site. This minimizes the distribution of the drug to other organs, thereby reducing its toxicity and allowing higher drug concentration at the tumor site. This review introduces polymer nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles, metal nanoparticles, hydrogels, exosomes, and dendrimers for the treatment of oral cancer, and discusses how these nanoplatforms play an anti-cancer effect. Finally, the review gives a slight outlook on the future prospects of nanoplatforms for oral cancer treatment.

Nanoparticle therapy for head and neck cancers

“…HNSCC are accessible tumors as compared with deeper organs, and offer the possibility of repeated intratumoral injections, which is expected to be needed for some nanoparticles, particularly for drug delivery and immunotherapy. Many challenges remain for nanoparticle efficacy: the variability in enhanced permeability retention effect in tumors; nanoparticle clearance, particularly by the mononuclear phagocytes; nanoparticle production and stability; nanoparticle drug-loading capacity; nanoparticle-related toxicities [57 ▪ ,58]. To date, no nanoparticle is approved for HNSCC.…”

Exosome-based delivery nanoplatforms: next-generation theranostic platforms for breast cancer

“…7 On the other hand, modification of active targeting molecules on NPs increases the efficiency of drug delivery for breast cancer treatment. 8 Nanoparticles commonly used in breast cancer treatment include liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, polymeric micelles, and inorganic nanoparticles. [9][10][11][12] However, the immunogenicity of these synthetic nanoparticles and the low permeability through the physiological barrier limit their application in DDSs.…”

Nanoplatforms: The future of oral cancer treatment

“…NP delivery also ensures the stability of the drug molecule before it is released at the intended site of action 20 . Nanoplatforms can address the drawbacks related to conventional chemotherapy and allow precise targeting of tumor cells and minimize adverse effects on neighboring healthy tissues, allowing optimization of dose and bioavailability of the chemotherapeutic agent 21 . Targeting, both passive and active, permits treatment while reducing the ill‐effects commonly associated with typical cancer treatments, such as hair loss and nausea 22 .…”