Revolutionizing cancer treatment: The role of chitosan nanoparticles in therapeutic advancements

• Published in: Journal of drug delivery science and technology 2024-06, Vol.96, p.105661, Article 105661
• Main Authors: Lunawat, Akshay Kumar, Thakur, Shubham, Kurmi, Balak Das, Gupta, Ghanshyam Das, Patel, Preeti, Raikwar, Sarjana
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Cancer; Chemotherapy; Chitin; Chitosan; Chitosan nanoparticles; Gene delivery
• ISSN: 1773-2247
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jddst.2024.105661

Cancer poses a significant global health threat, with millions of new cases and deaths annually reported. The traditional chemotherapy faces challenges due to poor drug solubility, impacting both healthy and cancerous cells. The need for more targeted therapies has driven the exploration of innovative nanocarriers, particularly nanoparticles (NPs), in cancer therapy. NPs offer precise drug delivery, addressing challenges through enhanced permeability and retention effects. Chitosan (CS), derived from chitin stands out as an environmentally friendly and biocompatible polysaccharide. Chitosan NPs (CS-NPs) meet crucial design criteria for cancer-targeting, ensuring precise targeting, effective drug release, and reduced cytotoxicity to non-cancerous tissues. Chitosan is an appealing option because of its unique combination of properties, including biodegradability and efficient medication encapsulation, that distinguish it apart from other natural polymers. Thus, the review explores the physicochemical properties of chitosan and its utilization in cancer treatment. It also offers a deep dive into recent advancements in CS-NPs research, focusing on their anti-cancer capabilities and their ability to deliver various therapeutic agents. In addition, it also provides a thorough analysis of the challenges faced and the future prospects for enhancing the application of CS-NPs in cancer therapy. [Display omitted] •Cancer poses a significant global health threat, with millions of new cases and deaths projected annually.•Nanotechnology, particularly nanoparticle, are revolutionizing cancer diagnosis and treatment. Nanoparticles excel in precise drug delivery, leveraging the Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect (EPR) for targeted therapy.•Polymers play a crucial role in designing nanocarriers and drug delivery systems, providing a versatile framework for enhanced treatments. Natural polymers, especially polysaccharides like chitosan, are preferred for their biocompatibility, biodegradability, and sustainability.•Chitosan, derived from chitin in seafood shells, is an environmentally friendly and biocompatible polysaccharide. Chitosan nanoparticles exhibit essential design criteria for cancer targeting, offering precise delivery, controlled release, and reduced cytotoxicity.•Chitosan nanoparticles helps to deliver chemotherapeutic agents, genes other therapeutic agents to target site due their biocompatibility, biodegradability nature and reduce the cytotoxicity to