Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for cancer therapy

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery system (DDS) is considered promising for cancer treatment. Compared with traditional DDS, the nanoparticle-based DDS shows improved efficacy by: 1) increasing half-life of vulnerable drugs and proteins, 2) improving the solubility of hydrophobic drugs, and 3) allowing controlled and targeted release of drugs in diseased site. This review mainly focuses on nanoparticle-based DDS fabricated from chitosan, silica, and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid). Their fabrication methods and applications in cancer treatment are introduced. The current limitations and future perspectives of the nanoparticle-based DDS are discussed.