Targeted drug delivery systems for pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed at the advanced stages, responds poorly to the available chemotherapeutics and constitutes the major factor for high mortality rate. Selective delivery of therapeutics to their cellular targets, without side effects is the foremost objective of the current investigations for effective treatment of pancreatic cancer. The development of the drugs which can selectively target pancreatic cancer along with carriers that can deliver drugs specifically to the rapidly dividing cells is considered as magic bullet for the efficient treatment of this fatal disease. This review describes various factors hampering the efficacy of drug targeting to pancreatic cancer including stromal fortress, hypocascularity, hyaluronan and interstitial fluid pressure, and exploration of various cellular targets for the site specific drug delivery. An account of burgeoning applications of novel drug delivery systems including nanoparticles, liposomes, quantum dots, micelles and drug conjugates in the management of pancreatic cancer is also provided. Additionally, potential of target based therapeutic agents and nanomedicines in clinical trials for the pancreatic cancer therapy are highlighted.