Nanoparticle formulations of cisplatin for cancer therapy

The genotoxic agent cisplatin, used alone or in combination with radiation and/or other chemotherapeutic agents, is an important first-line chemotherapy for a broad range of cancers. The clinical utility of cisplatin is limited both by intrinsic and acquired resistance and dose-limiting normal tissue toxicity. That cisplatin shows little selectivity for tumor versus normal tissue may be a critical factor limiting its value. To overcome the low therapeutic ratio of the free drug, macromolecular, liposomal, and nanoparticle drug delivery systems have been explored toward leveraging the enhanced permeability and retention effect and promoting delivery of cisplatin to tumors. Here, we survey recent advances in nanoparticle formulations of cisplatin, focusing on agents that show promise in preclinical or clinical settings. (C) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.