Liposomes: An Emerging Approach for the Treatment of Cancer

Background: Conventional drug delivery agents for a life-threatening disease, i.e., cancer, lack specificity towards cancer cells, producing a greater degree of side effects in the normal cells with a poor therapeutic index. These toxic side effects often limit dose escalation of anti-cancer drugs, leading to incomplete tumor suppression/ cancer eradication, early disease relapse, and ultimately, the development of drug resistance. Accordingly, targeting the tumor vasculatures is essential for the treatment of cancer. Objective: To search and describe a safer drug delivery carrier for the treatment of cancer with reduced systemic toxicities. Method: Data were collected from Medline, PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct using the following keywords: ‘liposomes’, ‘nanocarriers’, ‘targeted drug delivery’, ‘ligands’, ‘liposome for anti-cancerous drugs’, ‘treatment for cancer’ and ‘receptor targeting.’ Results: Liposomes have provided a safe platform for the targeted delivery of encapsulated anti-cancer drugs for the treatment of cancer, which results in the reduction of the cytotoxic side effects of anti-cancer drugs on normal cells. Conclusion: Liposomal targeting is a better emerging approach as an advanced drug delivery carrier with targeting ligands for anti-cancer agents.