Chitosan-based nanoparticles for tumor-targeted drug delivery

Nanoparticles (NPs) have immense potential as drug-delivery carriers for cancer therapy due to their unique physicochemical properties. These particles can improve the pharmacological and therapeutic properties of the anti-cancer drugs by controlling release rates and targeted delivery process, which eliminate the limitations of conventional anti-cancer treatment methods. In recent years, chitosan-based NPs are emerging as one of the most promising delivery vehicles for cancer chemotherapy and diagnosis due to their unique characteristics such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, remarkable cell membrane penetrability, high drug-carrying capacities, pH-dependent therapeutic unloading, ability to have a multi-functionality and prolonged circulating time. This article reviews the recent developments on the preparation, properties and tumor-targeted drug-delivery applications of NPs based on chitosan and its derivatives. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.