Unraveling the Pivotal Role of Nanovesicle Drug Delivery Systems in Colorectal Cancer: A New Paradigm in Therapeutics.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal malignancy leading to mortality. The prolonged efficacy of chemotherapeutic medications has been hindered by their limited capacity to reach the intended target, their lack of specificity in targeting tumors, their non-specific dispersion throughout the body and limited availability at the tumor location, and their undesired adverse effects. Targeted drug delivery to the colon enhances drug concentration at the desired location, resulting in a reduced dosage requirement and consequently, fewer side effects. This review article provides a thorough discussion of the numerous pathways that may cause colorectal cancer. The concept of drug targeting in colorectal cancer using nanovesicles has been addressed in detail in this article. This can be accomplished either by passive targeting or active targeting through receptor-ligand interaction by attaching certain active targeting moieties, such as folic acid, epidermal growth factor receptor, GE-11 peptide, EpCAM aptamer, and transferrin, over the surface of nanovesicle. This review showcases applications of nanovesicle systems, such as liposomes, phytosomes, polymeric micelles, niosomes, cubosomes, emulsomes, polymersomes and lipopolymersomes in drug delivery for the management of colorectal cancer. The nanovesicle systems have significant potential in managing colorectal cancer and overcoming the challenges encountered with current therapy methods.