Application of nano-based systems for drug delivery and targeting: a review

Over the last decades, magnificent progress in the field of nanopharmaceuticals mostly with sizes smaller than 100 nm has led to the development of novel delivery systems and brightened the hope of finding new approaches to combat threatening diseases including cancer. So far, numerous efforts have been made to develop appropriate delivery systems with favorable features such as acceptable toxicity profile, high cellular uptake, low immunogenicity, and stable physicochemical properties along with distribution of the therapeutic molecule specifically to the site of action, without affecting healthy organs and tissues. Non-viral delivery systems have always been suitable options for delivery purposes. Polymers, liposomes, and inorganic delivery systems are all of the available choices in non-viral delivery systems, with each possessing their own advantages and pitfalls. This current review presents the recent advances about the application of various non-viral nanocarriers in the delivery of diverse therapeutic agents especially in cancer treatment. Targeting ligands as an important part of designing targeted nanocarriers to the site of interest or intra-cellular environment and opportunities and challenges of nano-based systems for drug and gene delivery are also discussed.