Anticancer nano-delivery systems based on bovine serum albumin nanoparticles: A critical review

Among the health-promotional protein-based vehicles, bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA NPs) are particularly interesting. Meeting requirements e. g., non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high drug-binding capacity, has introduced BSA NPs as a promising candidate for efficient anti-cancer drug delivery and its application is now a rapidly-growing strategy to promote cancer therapy. Nevertheless, the leverage of such carriers requires an in-depth understanding of structural/physicochemical features of the BSA molecule and its derived nanovehicles, together with the utilized nano-formulation ap-proaches, effective variables in delivery mechanism, specific shortfalls, and recent nanoencapsulation progresses. The current review highlights the novel advances in the application of BSA NPs to engineer drug vehicles for delivering anti-cancer agents. The factors influencing the efficiency of the therapeutics in such nano-delivery systems, alongside their advantaged and limitations are also discussed.

Automated summary

Bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSA NPs) are promising for efficient anti-cancer drug delivery due to their non-toxicity, non-immunogenicity, biodegradability, biocompatibility, and high drug-binding capacity. Understanding the structural/physicochemical features of BSA molecule and its derived nanovehicles, as well as effective variables in delivery mechanism, is essential for leveraging the potential of this carrier in cancer therapy. The review highlights recent advances in using BSA NPs for delivering anti-cancer agents and discusses the factors influencing the efficiency of therapeutics in nano-delivery systems.