Curcumin delivery and co-delivery based on nanomaterials as an effective approach for cancer therapy

Throughout the world, cancer is one of the main causes of mortality, threatening the public health in many countries. As a result, cancer therapy researchers are paying increasing attention to biocompatible targeted drug delivery systems. Nanocarriers and co-delivery of active drugs is emerging as an essential research field for improving therapeutic efficiency. Although nutraceuticals are now being used to prevent and treat chronic illnesses such as cancers, some have shown limitations concerning solubility, bioavailability, and biodegradability. This review explores different types of nanostructures that can be used as drug delivery systems for curcumin, a biologically active polyphenol with high anticancer potential. However, poor solubility, short biological half-life and high metabolism rate limit its efficiency for cancer treatment. Different approaches recently developed to solve these issues are described herein, including the use of lipid-based nanoparticles (NPs), polymeric NPs, carbon-based nanostructures, and inorganic NPs. Besides, the characteristics, advantages and drawbacks of different curcumin nanocarriers are discussed. Furthermore, co-delivery systems involving curcumin and other anticancer drugs are reviewed, which are excellent future prospects for cancer therapy.