Cancer has been considered as the most cause of death in world. Employing of nanocarriers as drug delivery systems provide a platform for delivering drugs with increasing the anti-cancer efficacy, enhancing bioavailability of drugs, reducing side effects, enhancing the circulation half-life of drugs, improving the distribution of drugs and overcoming drug resistance. A number of nanocarriers have been studied as drug delivery systems for improving the treatment of cancer including liposomes, micelle, polymeric nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, solid lipid nanoparticle (SLN) and nanostructure lipid carrier (NLC). In order to enhance recognition and internalization of nanocarriers by the target tissues, their surfaces can be modified with targeting ligands such as integrins, transferrin, folic acid, polysaccharides and antibodies. In this chapter, we are going to introduce the targeted nanocarriers for improving the cytotoxic action of drugs with further attempt of decreasing dose to achieve higher anticancer activity. Targeted nanocarriers would provide a promising therapeutic approach for cancer.
Part of the book: Smart Drug Delivery