Advancements and prospects of lipid-based nanoparticles: dual frontiers in cancer treatment and vaccine development

Abstract

Cancer is a complex heterogeneous disease that poses a significant public health challenge. In recent years, lipid-based nanoparticles (LBNPs) have expanded drug delivery and vaccine development options owing to their adaptable, non-toxic, tuneable physicochemical properties, versatile surface functionalisation, and biocompatibility. LBNPs are tiny artificial structures composed of lipid-like materials that can be engineered to encapsulate and deliver therapeutic agents with pinpoint accuracy. They have been widely explored in oncology; however, our understanding of their pharmacological mechanisms, effects of their composition, charge, and size on cellular uptake, tumour penetration, and how they can be utilised to develop cancer vaccines is still limited. Hence, we reviewed LBNPs’ unique characteristics, biochemical features, and tumour-targeting mechanisms. Furthermore, we examined their ability to enhance cancer therapies and their potential contribution in developing anticancer vaccines. We critically analysed their advantages and challenges impeding swift advancements in oncology and highlighted promising avenues for future research.

HIGHLIGHTS

• LBNPs are tiny artificial particles made of lipids using different formulation methods. They are powerful and versatile delivery platforms with great potential as anticancer therapies. LBNPs have been tested in clinical applications and can safely deliver anticancer agents, including vaccine payloads designed to target various cancer types.

• LBNPs’ size, surface charge, and targeting ligands can be modified during formulation, and they can be administered to specific tissues via various routes. LBNPs can target tumours and release their payload via active, passive, or stimuli-responsive mechanisms.

• Active targeting requires surface modification in order to target and deliver their payload, while passive targeting do not. Stimuli-responsive release mechanisms move to the tumour microenvironment and release their payload upon an internal or external stimulus.

• There are several challenges faced by LBNPs in delivering cancer drugs and vaccines, but advanced research methods have opened new doors vital for expanding their applications in clinical oncology.

• LBNPs offer the advantage of enhanced drug stability and bioavailability, prolonged circulation time of therapeutic agents in the bloodstream, and improved efficacy in targeting cancerous tissues.

Keywords:

• Cancer
• cancer treatment
• cancer vaccines
• drug delivery
• lipid-based nanoparticles
• lipid nanoparticles
• liposomes
• nanomedicine

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Project of Hunan Science and Technology (No. 2020JJ9011, 2020JJ9020, and 2021JJ80078).