Challenges and Future Directions of Anticancer Molecules and Their Delivery

Cancer cells proliferate indefinitely and destroy surrounding normal tissues which makes major threats to human health. According to WHO studies, more than 16 million people are estimated to suffer from this deadly disease annually by 2040. Normal cells are converted into cancer or tumor cells if their deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or any blueprint within their nucleus is damaged. Tumor cells produce more such abnormal cells. Multiple factors may lead to cancer, so it is not possible to pinpoint an exact reason. Traditional anticancer drugs possess poor tissue penetration, off-target toxicities, incompetent cellular internalization, poor solubility, and instability during circulation. These all collectively contribute to low therapeutic efficiency and severe side effects of the traditional cancer treatment approach. So, advancement in the treatment field of cancer is urgent. The development of drug delivery systems (DDS), especially nanotechnology-based advancement of DDS, has evolved as one of the major areas in cancer research capable of overcoming the majority of the disadvantages related to existing traditional approaches.