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Tumor Discovery

REVIEW ARTICLE
Targeted drug delivery approaches for the

management of tumors

Shashi Kiran Misra , and Kamla Pathak *
1
2
1 Department of Pharmacy, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Chhatrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj
University, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
2 Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Uttar Pradesh University of Medical Sciences,
Saifai, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract
The treatment of tumors requires specific and selective drug delivery approaches
capable of efficiently eliminating the root cause of oncogenesis. In this context,
targeted drug delivery strategies are the preferred choice due to their exceptional
recognition of tumor cell biology and their high transfection efficacy within the
tumor microenvironment. The emergence of nanoscale techniques has marked
significant milestones in the successful management of various types of tumors.
The development of targeted delivery approaches for tumor therapeutics has
gained momentum over the past few decades. However, in contrast to the plethora
of successful pre-clinical studies, only a limited number of passively targeted
nanocarriers have been approved for clinical use, and none of the actively targeted
nanocarriers have advanced beyond clinical trials. This review delves into the major
molecular principles associated with tumorigenesis, including active targeting,
passive targeting, and cell-mediated targeting. It also explores the biological barriers

*Corresponding author: (systemic, biological, and cellular) encountered in tumor drug delivery. Moreover,
Kamla Pathak the review examines various tumor-targeted drug delivery systems that have been
(kamlapathak5@gmail.com) developed over the past decade. These systems encompass polymeric nanoparticles
Citation: Misra SK, Pathak K, 2023, (micelles, nanoparticles, dendrimers, and polyplexes), lipid-based carriers (solid
Targeted drug delivery approaches lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid carriers, nanoemulsion), vesicular systems
for the management of tumors. (liposomes, niosomes, aquasomes, and phytosomes), and inorganic nanocarriers (iron
Tumor Discov, 2(3): 1356.
https://doi.org/10.36922/td.1356 oxide nanoparticles, quantum dots, carbon-based nanoparticles, and mesoporous
silica nanoparticles), all designed for the alleviation of tumors.
Received: July 23, 2023
Accepted: September 15, 2023
Keywords: Oncogenesis; Transfection efficacy; Microenvironment; Biological barriers;
Published Online: October 25, Nanocarriers
2023
Copyright: © 2023 Author(s).
This is an Open Access article
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution 1. Introduction
License, permitting distribution,
and reproduction in any medium, Tumors are defined as abnormal growth of cells that proliferate and differentiate more
provided the original work is rapidly than normal cells and do not undergo programmed cell death. Tumors can be
properly cited. classified as benign (non-harmful) or malignant (neoplasm and cancerous). Although
Publisher’s Note: AccScience benign tumors can grow large and do not invade neighboring cells/tissues in other parts
Publishing remains neutral with of the body, they can be life-threatening if they compress vital organs, including blood
regard to jurisdictional claims in [1]
published maps and institutional vessels or nerves . In contrast, malignant tumors exhibit high aggressiveness, invade
affiliations. adjacent tissues, and have the potential to spread through the body’s vascular systems

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2023) 1 https://doi.org/10.36922/td.1356