Significance of Nano-drug Delivery in Cancer Therapy, Application of Nanoparticles in Overcoming Drug Resistance, Targeted Therapy, and Immunotherapy

Cancer remains a global leading cause of death and is a complex disease that needs a versatile method to treat. Despite strategies to reduce deaths, alleviate chronic pain, and improve quality of life, existing shortfalls in cancer therapies still face limitations. The use of nanotechnology has developed as a promising avenue in cancer treatment, specifically nanoparticles (NPs) ranging from 1 to 100 nm. The design of these NPs plays an important role since physical and structural features control the pharmacokinetics, internalization, and safety of the drugs. Moreover, with the emerging multidrug resistance mechanisms studied, NPs are being subjected to more renewed research. Recently, scientists have started to explore the role of NPs in immunotherapy. Potential advantages of using nanocarriers in different biomedical applications, especially targeted therapy have been extensively studied for cancer treatment. This chapter discusses numerous types of NPs, targeting mechanisms, immunotherapy, and the importance of nanotechnology in cancer treatment. Further, we also summarize the future perspectives. Overall, further research in this area will lead to new innovative methodologies for cancer treatment that can improve patient outcomes.