Polymeric immunonanoparticles mediated cancer therapy: Versatile nanocarriers for cell-specific cargo delivery

The major drawback with conventional therapeutic approaches for cancer therapyis decreased efficacy and redundant therapy associated toxicity and side effects causing increasedpatient discomfort. With the aim of minimizing these limitations, a vast amount of attention has been given to targeted nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems that possess a several-fold advantageover conventional therapy. Increased research in targeted nanoparticulate systems hasled to the development of immunonanoparticles with enhanced efficacy and targeting efficiencyalong with decreased drug-resistant cancer- and dose-related toxicity. These immunonanoparticle-based therapies, which can be extended to immunotherapy, have gained wide attention, but few formulations will be approved by regulatory agencies in the near future. This review details the various immunonanoparticle systems explored in cancer therapy, with particular emphasis onpolymeric nanoparticles. This review describes the mechanisms of immunotherapy and the path ways for targeting dendritic cells for immunotherapy. It also focuses on present status of clinicaltrials of immunonanoparticles and related patents, as well as various FDA-approved monoclonalantibodies (mAbs) for immunotherapy. Toxicity issues related to immunonanoparticles along with regulatory guidelines for these therapeutic nanoparticles are also discussed.