BACKGROUND: Targeting chemotherapeutic agents to the tumor tissues and achieving accumulation with ideal release behavior for desired therapy requires an ideal treatment strategy to inhibit division of rapid growing cancerous cells and as an outcome improve patient's quality of life. However, majority of the available anticancer therapies are well known for their systemic toxicities and multidrug resistance.
METHODS: Application of nanotechnology in medicine have perceived a great evolution during past few decades. Nanoemulsion, submicron sized thermodynamically stable distribution of two immiscible liquids, has gained extensive importance as a nanocarrier to improve chemotherapies seeking to overcome the limitations of drug solubilization, improving systemic delivery of the chemotherapeutics to the site of action to achieve a promising inhibitory in tumor growth profile with reduced systemic toxicity.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: This review has focused on potential application of nanoemulsion in the translational research and its role in chemotherapy using oral, parenteral and transdermal route to enhance systemic availability of poorly soluble drug. In summary, nanoemulsion is a multifunctional nanocarrier capable of enhancing drug delivery potential of cytotoxic agents, thereby, can improve the outcomes of cancer treatment by increasing the life-span of the patient and quality of life, however, further clinical research and characterization of interactive reactions should need to be explored.
* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.