Liposomal Encapsulation of Different Anticancer Drugs: An Effective Drug Delivery Technique

Drug delivery is the process of introducing bio-active medicinal components into the body of a patient. It is possible to use a variety of natural resources and synthetic materials made from natural resources as the building blocks for creating drug delivery systems (DDs). Liposomal systems are such kinds of DDs consisting of a phospholipid membrane with a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. Liposomes are lipid-rich spherical or multilayered spherical structures with variations in their size (starting from 2 to > 5000 nm), production techniques, processing, and drug loading. Many advantages of liposomal drug delivery systems over conventional liposomes or free drug treatment of cancer have been discovered as modern drug delivery formulations. Because of their outstanding performance in targeted delivery, liposome nanocarriers have recently displayed excellent drug loading capacity, drug protection, higher bioavailability, enhanced intracellular delivery, and greater therapeutic impact. In this approach, the multifunctional and stimulus-responsive nanocarriers for the drug delivery of cancer treatments improve the effectiveness of treatment, by sustained release of the drug that combats metastases while limiting the systemic negative effects on healthy tissues and organs. This review summarizes the mechanism of liposomal encapsulation of different anticancer drugs, the mechanism of interaction of liposomal anticancer drugs with cancer cells, and also the mechanism of release of drugs from liposomes. The possible disadvantages and future scope of the technique have also been accounted for.