Advances in Anticancer Protein Delivery using Micro-/Nanoparticles

Proteins exhibiting anticancer activities, especially those capable of discriminately killing cancer cells, have attracted increasing interest in developing protein-based anticancer therapeutics. This Progress Report surveys recent advances in delivering anticancer proteins directly to tumor tissue for inducing apoptosis/necrosis or indirectly to antigen presenting cells for provoking immune responses. Protein delivery carriers such as inorganic particles, lipid particles, polymeric particles, DNA/protein-based biomacro-molecular particles, as well as cell based carriers are reviewed with comments on their advantages and limitations. Future challenges and opportunities are also discussed.