Active Targeting Liposomes: Promising Approach for Tumor-Targeted Therapy

A good bioavailability is a prerequisite for the function of drugs and thus is considered as an important standard to evaluate the quality of drug products. However, with the emerge of precision medicine, a good bioavailability becomes far less enough for assessment of drugs intended to be delivered into specific tissues, cells, or even organelles, especially for drugs with serious side effects such asanticancer drugs. The purpose of this commentary is to discuss the use of drug delivery systems, especially liposomes, to solve the problem of non-specific distribution of free anticancer drugs through passive or active tumor targeting.

Liposomes are artificially prepared vesicles composed of a biocompatible lipid bilayer and/or a concentric series of multiple bilayers that enclose a central aqueous compartment. Agents can beencapsulated in the aqueous compartment or intercalated in the bilayermembrane. The protective and solubilizing effect of liposomes can significantly improve the solubility, stability and blood circulation time of drugs.