An insight on electrospun-nanofibers-inspired modern drug delivery system in the treatment of deadly cancers

Abstract

In spite of ample researches and admirable achievements, there are still a significant number of deaths happening every year due to cancer. Furthermore, the number of new cases recorded is also not reduced despite the advent of various preventive measures. Though current clinical approaches yield commendable results, they elicit severe systemic side-effects and also fail to avoid the recurrence of the disease. To address these issues, nanotechnology-empowered modern drug delivery systems showcase excellent properties for the targeting and controlled delivery of biomolecules over a period of time. In the past decade, the materials-based cancer research field has witnessed the exploration of several attractive drug delivery approaches for the administration of synthetic drugs to genetic materials. Among those, the electrospinning-based nanofibrous mesh has attracted several works on treating common deadly cancers such as those of the lung, breast and colon. The capability of nanofibers to enable increased drug loading, maintenance of significant bioactivity, excellent drug encapsulation, controlled and targeted delivery, has helped the researchers to achieve successful administration of a variety of anti-cancer agents. This review gives an insight into the process of electrospinning, its essential parameters, the types of drug incorporation and the works reported on common deadly cancers. Moreover, the future direction of this effective alternative is also delineated, making electrospun nanofibers as a suitable vehicle for delivering drugs to the cancer sites.