Thermosensitive Liposomes in Cancer Therapy

Thermosensitive liposomes have been a popular area of investigation for several years leading to a plentitude of scientific literature and several patents. The majority of formulations are still in the early stage of development and preclinical testing, although one formulation, ThermoDox®, is significantly more advanced. This formulation is now in clinical trials for a few different cancer indications. In this review, key patents and publications through the evolution of thermosensitive lipososomes are presented, including the use of polymers, lipids and other molecules to control the temperature sensitivity. ThermoDox® is discussed with an update on recent experiments and reports from the clinical trials. Finally, a summary of recent formulations designed to improve upon the ThermoDox® benchmark is presented, and the challenges and future directions for thermosensitive liposome technology are discussed.