Self-assembled nanostructures for anticancer applications: Advances and limitations

Self-assembled nanostructures can be created as the spontaneous organization of individual nanomaterials via entropy maximization (under suitable conditions) into ordered nanostructures by non-covalent interactions such as van der Waals and hydrophobic interactions. Nucleic acids, amino acids, and lipids are the main building blocks to producing natural self-aasembled nanostructures. For self-assembled nanocarriers as reversible organization, several advantages have been found including biocompatibility, biochemical diversity, and high loading efficiency for both hydrophilic and hydrophobic therapeutic agents, and ability to passive and active targeting. In the case of cancers, these benefits can improve formulations due to inactivation or eradication of various cancer cells. However, there are some limitations such as low stability in the physiological conditions for these formulations, which we have tried to address these issues.

Self-assembled nanostructures for anticancer applications: Advances and limitations Keywords:

High loading efficiency , Non-covalent interactions , Passive and active targeting , Ordered nanostructures , Reversible organization , Self-assembled nanocarriers