NANOPARTICLE-BASED DRUG DELIVERY SYSTEMS IN CANCER PHARMACOLOGY: EMERGING INNOVATIONS AND THERAPEUTIC POTENTIAL

Abstract

Cancer remains one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide despite major advances in pharmacological therapies. Conventional chemotherapy is frequently associated with poor selectivity, severe systemic toxicity, multidrug resistance, and limited bioavailability [1]. Recent innovations in pharmacology have increasingly focused on nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems (NDDS), which provide targeted and controlled drug release with improved therapeutic outcomes. Nanotechnology integrates pharmacology, molecular biology, and material science to enhance the effectiveness of anticancer drugs while minimizing adverse effects. Various nanocarriers including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, solid lipid nanoparticles, and metallic nanoparticles have shown considerable promise in overcoming the limitations of traditional chemotherapy. These systems improve drug solubility, prolong circulation time, enhance tumor targeting via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, and reduce off-target toxicity. Emerging approaches such as ligand-mediated targeting, stimuli-responsive nanoparticles, and theranostic nanomedicine represent the future of precision oncology. This review discusses the recent advances, pharmacological mechanisms, clinical applications, advantages, limitations, and future perspectives of nanoparticle-based cancer therapeutics.