Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy

Pancreatic cancer remains one of the most lethal malignancies, largely owing to late diagnosis, dense stromal barriers and the inherent chemoresistance of tumour cells. Traditional chemotherapy suffers from systemic toxicity, rapid drug clearance and poor penetration into the desmoplastic microenvironment. Nanoparticle-based delivery systems seek to overcome these limitations by encapsulating or conjugating cytotoxic agents—most notably gemcitabine—and modulating their pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and cellular uptake. By exploiting the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect, nanoscale carriers, such as liposomes, polymeric micelles, dendrimers and inorganic particles, can accumulate preferentially in tumour tissue. Further refinements include surface decoration with targeting ligands for receptor-mediated uptake, stimuli-responsive release to synchronise drug liberation with local cues (pH, enzymes or temperature), and co-delivery of gene therapies or combination chemotherapies. Collectively, these strategies aim to enhance antitumour efficacy, reduce off-target effects and pave the way towards more effective, patient-friendly regimens.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for pancreatic cancer therapy across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Nanoparticle: A submicrometre carrier (1–500 nm) capable of encapsulating drugs to improve delivery, stability and targeting.

Liposome: A spherical vesicle with one or more phospholipid bilayers used to encapsulate hydrophilic or hydrophobic agents for controlled release.

Polymeric micelle: A self-assembled nanostructure formed by amphiphilic block copolymers, featuring a hydrophobic core for drug loading and a hydrophilic shell for circulation stability.

Prodrug: A chemically modified precursor of an active drug designed to improve pharmacokinetics, targeting or activation at the disease site.

Enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect: The phenomenon by which nanoparticles preferentially accumulate in tumour tissue due to leaky vasculature and poor lymphatic drainage.

Chemoresistance: The ability of cancer cells to withstand or evade the cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy, often through altered drug uptake, efflux or metabolic pathways.

References

1. Recent advancements in the targeted delivery of Gemcitabine: Harnessing nanomedicine for enhanced cancer therapy. OpenNano (2023).
2. Recent Development of Prodrugs of Gemcitabine. Genes (2022).
3. Recent Advances in Lipid-Based Nanosystems for Gemcitabine and Gemcitabine–Combination Therapy. Nanomaterials (2021).