Revisión del estado actual y posibilidades de las aproximaciones más importantes al transporte específico de agentes quimioterápicos a las células tumorales.

Zusammenfassung

The main problems related to chemotherapy mainly come from a relative lack of selectivity, that is associated to the extensive biodistribution of antitumor molecules, and to the severe side effects generated by the unspecific drug action on healthy tissues and organs. The need of finding out efficient treatments against cancer has led to an enhancement in the number of research lines in the field. In this way, one of the most promising approaches is the development of biodegradable colloids for the delivery of antitumor drugs. Thanks to them, it is possible to specifically concentrate the drug into the site of action. Therefore, a significant improvement of the chemotherapy effect is obtained along with a minimization of the related adverse side effects. In this review, we analyze the current �state of the art� in the development of colloidal systems for the efficient delivery of anticancer drugs. The possibilities of novel drug delivery strategies based on passive and active targeting mechanisms are also discussed.