LAUSR

Although conventional chemotherapy has been successful to some extent, the main drawbacks of chemotherapy are its poor bioavailability, high-dose requirements, adverse side effects, low therapeutic indices, development of multiple drug resistance, and non-specific targeting. The main aim in the development of drug delivery vehicles is to successfully address these delivery-related problems and carry drugs to the desired sites of therapeutic action while reducing adverse side effects. In this review, we will discuss the different types of materials used as delivery vehicles for chemotherapeutic agents and their structural characteristics that improve the therapeutic efficacy of their drugs and will describe recent scientific advances in the area of chemotherapy, emphasizing challenges in cancer treatments.Cancer therapeutics: Special deliveryImproving the delivery of cancer therapies to tumor sites is crucial to reduce unwanted side effects and patient mortality rates. Pralay Maiti and colleagues at the Indian Institute of Technology in Varanasi, India, review the latest developments in drug delivery vehicles and treatment approaches designed to enhance the effectiveness of current cancer therapies. New nanoparticle-based carriers, hydrogels and hybrid materials that offer controlled and sustained drug release are showing great promise in animal models. Furthermore, materials that respond to stimuli such as heat, light, magnetic or electric fields are also being tested to aid target-specific drug delivery and, thus, avoid damage to healthy tissues. Although there are some challenges in translating these findings to the clinic, there is no doubt that technological advances are shaping better and safer treatment options.