Potential of liposomes for the treatment of lung cancer- a review

Abstract

Lung cancer is the leading cause of all cancer deaths worldwide among both men and women with symptoms of cough, airway obstruction and hemoptysis. Lung cancer can be divided into two subtypes which are known as small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Surgical resection, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted medicines for NSCLC with driver oncogene mutations, and immune checkpoint medications are now available as first-line NSCLC treatments. However, treatment outcomes of such types of cancers is still not adequate and chemotherapy results in more severe systemic adverse effects as well as recurrence of cancers.As a result, new and effective treatment options needs to be researched upon for the treatment of lung cancer, specifically NSCLC.Targeted drug delivery strategies for the treatment of lung cancer are of utmost importance not only as it site-directed treatment targeting the cancer cells but also it has the potential to reduce metastasis and increases the effectiveness of the lung cancer therapy and complements the treatment associated with surgical resection and radiotherapy. In this context,liposomes offer the unique possibility of targeted treatment of lung cancer due to their ability to pass through the leaky tumour blood vessels owing to their small size (100 nm) and accumulate in the cancerous tissue, a phenomenon known as enhanced permeability and retention effect to release the encapsulated drug at the target site.The present review provides an overview of the potential of liposomes in the treatment of lung cancer. Classification of different types of iposomes have been discussed along with their therapeutic applications in the treatment of lung cancer with a direction towards future use of liposomes in lung cancer treatment.