Recent advances in nanocarriers-based drug delivery for cancer therapeutics: A review

Cancer prevalence is increasing in the last few decades with high mortality rates. It is a leading cause of death globally. Due to the rising prevalence of cancer and the emergence of conventional chemotherapy-related problems, the smart drug delivery system (SDDs) based on intrinsic, extrinsic stimuli-responsive nanocarriers has been widely studied. The current treatment available for cancer has drawbacks such as immune system weakness, irresponsive to treatment, non-specific target. The side effects of anticancer drugs can be reduced by encapsulation of the drug and targeted delivery at the cancer site. Stimuli responsive nanocarriers are effective for drug release at cancer sites to achieve target-specific delivery. These systems show superior ability for targeting cancerous cells without affecting healthy cells and offer the potential for advanced cancer therapies when compared to the conventional system. The present review involves recent advances in intrinsic, extrinsic, and dual-stimuli responsive nanomaterial systems for delivery of drug in cancer therapy.