Folic acid-anchored liposomes in cancer therapy: a next-generation nanoplatform for precision drug delivery and tumor targeting

Targeted drug delivery (TDD) has emerged as a potential strategy for cancer management by selectively delivering therapeutic agents directly to the targeted site. The current trends in TDD for cancer therapy, focus on the use of various ligands, such as hyaluronic acid, folic acid (FA), carbohydrates, peptides, antibodies, and aptamers to enhance drug delivery precision. Liposomes, a type of vesicular nanocarrier, allow the encapsulation of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic agents, thereby enabling the targeted delivery of a wide range of anticancer compounds. These versatile carriers exhibit exceptional biodegradability, biocompatibility, eased scalability, and facile surface modification. Given the high expression of folate receptors (FR) on cancer cells, these receptors represent a favorable target for the active targeting of chemotherapeutic agents. In the engineering of FA into liposomal formulations, researchers can develop an optimistic strategy for cancer management. The present article provides a brief overview of the fundamental aspects of FA and liposomes and focusing on the application of folate-targeted liposomes in the management of various cancers, such as breast, lung, skin, liver, brain, and colorectal cancer (CRC) is explored. The challenges associated with the delivery of folate-engineered liposomes in cancer management are also highlighted in this article.