Recent advances in nanocarriers for clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs

Platinum(II) drugs have been one of the most commonly used anticancer drugs in clinic. However, drug resistance and severe toxic effects limit their clinical applications. Developing nanocarriers for platinum(II) anticancer drugs provides promising strategies to overcome these problems, ascribed to their versatile functionalities such as precise delivery of platinum(II) drugs to tumor site, modulation of tumor microenvironment, and integration of other anticancer agents or therapies. In this review, nanocarriers that have been recently developed to deliver platinum(II) anticancer drugs in the last five years are described focusing on their smart constructions and functions. The current situation of clinical platinum(II) anticancer drugs is first introduced, followed by the discussion of the irreplaceable role of nanocarriers for platinum(II) anticancer drugs. Afterward, the rules for classifying the nanocarriers in this review and the advantages of each type are explained. Based on the classification, the latest published nanocarriers of each kind for platinum(II) drugs are then described in detail. In the end, conclusions and future directions provide perspectives for future exploration of more smart delivery strategies for platinum(II) drugs. It is expected that this review will promote the development of more efficient and safe nanocarriers for platinum(II) anticancer drugs that are available for the final clinical application.