Synthetic and Natural Drug Nanodelivery Systems Used in Oncology Treatment

Abstract

Cancer is considered the principal cause of death worldwide, with breast andlung cancer the most prevalent type in women and men, respectively. Cancertreatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy, have disadvantages due tolack of selectivity toward tumor cells and inefficient drug delivery to tumor sites.Nanotechnology presents promising solutions to these limitations. In this sense,the use of nanocarriers can enhance the precision and efficacy of the treatmentthrough innovative nano-based interventions.Nanoparticles have a wide application in medical contexts due to their size inwhich quantum phenomena take place. Therefore, they presented a high surfaceto-mass ratio along with the ability to transport diverse compounds. They havethe capacity to improve therapeutic efficacy and mitigate adverse effects throughthe enhancement of drug stability, reduction of adverse reactions, and modulationof pharmacokinetic profiles. Nanomedicine is emerging as a gateway for diagnosticand treatment strategies that overcome many obstacles faced by conventionaltherapies.Plant-based herbal medicines, natural compounds, and their derivatives areconsidered promising in cancer research and treatment. Several phytochemicalgroups such as polyphenols and their derivatives, naphtoquinones, and sesquiterpenelactones are under preclinical and clinical investigations in innovative drugdelivery systems with the objective to enhance pharmacological parameters,such as bioavailability, efficacy, and safety. The elucidation of cancer biologyhas spurred advancements in nanoparticle-based drug delivery, offering potentialbenefits such as reduced toxicity, circumvention of multidrug resistance, andimproved drug solubility. Consequently, the integration of immunotherapy withnanoparticles has emerged as a viable strategy to prevent tumor recurrence andmetastasis. Concurrently, clinical trials are exploring combinations of conventionaltherapies with other modalities—immunotherapy, photothermal ablation,and gene therapy—as potential treatments for various tumors.This chapter provides a comprehensive analysis of preclinical and clinicalinvestigations related to compounds of both natural and synthetic origin,integrated with different therapeutic approaches for the treatment of diversetumors.