Liposomal and Polymer-Based Delivery System for Enhanced Drug Efficacy

Cancer represents an ongoing and critical challenge to global health, necessitating novel strategies to improve the efficiency and precision of therapeutic modalities while reducing off-target toxicity against healthy tissues. Nanotherapeutics have surfaced as a transformative approach in oncological therapy, enabling advanced methods for site-specific drug delivery. It enhances the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents by improving their systemic availability and pharmacokinetic properties while disseminating selective accumulation in tumor tissues. Various nanoscale systems, such as nanoparticles, liposomes, and lipid- and polymer-based carriers, have significantly advanced cancer therapy. Lipid-based polymeric nanoparticles are widely used drug carrier systems for cancer-targeted drug therapy. Liposomes, composed of biocompatible phospholipid-based bilayer structures enabling encapsulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drug regimens, offer targeted delivery. Recent scientific advances have facilitated the development of multifunctional platforms capable of responding to the tumor microenvironment, such as releasing therapeutic cargos in reaction to variations in pH, temperature, or enzymatic activity. This chapter delves into the recent studies and preclinical trials that exhibit how liposomes and polymer-mediated targeting systems could be used to treat cancer, while addressing challenges such as upscaling feasibility, regulatory hurdles, and toxicity concerns.