Tailoring Soft Nanoparticles for Potential Application as Drug Carriers in Bladder Cancer Chemotherapy

The current standard therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer is surgical transurethral resection followed by intravesical immunotherapy or chemotherapy. However, the success of intravesical therapy is limited due to the bladder permeability barrier and periodic voiding of urine. With a high rate of recurrence and need for lifetime surveillance, bladder cancer is the costliest cancer to treat. This mini review highlights the development of different types of soft nanoparticles as drug carriers to address the challenges encountered in intravesical chemotherapy. These nanocarriers are prepared from non-cytotoxic mucoadhesive materials to promote interaction with the urothelium in order to provide sustained release of the drug locally and increase drug residence time in the bladder. With advances in nanotechnology, mucoadhesive nanocarriers can be designed to carry hydrophobic or hydrophilic drugs as well as a combination of synergistic drugs with different physicochemical properties and other agents besides drugs for intravesical therapy.