Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Liposomes for Antitumour Drug Delivery Systems

Cancer, a disease caused by the abnormal proliferation and spread of cells, is responsible for nearly 10 million deaths in 2020, accounting for 1/6 of all deaths worldwide. The pathogenesis of cancer is complex and is usually triggered by a combination of genetic mutations, environmental factors and lifestyle. Current treatments such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are effective but have significant side effects such as fatigue, infection and pain. As a drug delivery system, liposomes have the advantages of drug protection, delayed release, and targeted therapy, which can effectively reduce the toxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs. Liposome-encapsulated anticancer drugs, such as Doxil, DaunoXome, and Onivyde, have demonstrated promising efficacy in the treatment of a variety of cancers, such as breast and ovarian cancers, by prolonging the duration of action of the drugs and reducing side effects. By virtue of their unique structure and function, liposomes have improved the targeting and stability of cancer drugs and provided a new direction for anticancer therapy. Therefore, we have further explored the research progress of liposomes by investigating their properties, synthesis methods, classification and use in cancer therapy.