Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems in Prostate Cancer Therapy

Nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems offer a versatile platform to enhance the efficacy and safety of prostate cancer therapy. By encapsulating chemotherapeutic agents, genetic material or imaging probes within carriers measuring 10–200 nm, these systems improve solubility of hydrophobic drugs, protect sensitive payloads from degradation and enable controlled release at tumour sites. Passive targeting via the enhanced permeability and retention effect is often complemented by active targeting using surface ligands such as peptides, antibodies or small molecules that recognise prostate-specific markers. Such precision delivery reduces systemic toxicity, overcomes multidrug resistance and can integrate therapeutic and diagnostic functions in a single ‘theranostic’ particle. Diverse formulations—including liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles, micelles and inorganic constructs—have been engineered to co-deliver multiple agents, modulate immune responses and navigate biological barriers. Collectively, these advances hold promise for more effective, personalised interventions in prostate cancer management worldwide.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Recent studies have extended the concept of ‘nanochemoprevention’ by developing polymeric nanoparticles encapsulating (–)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) and decorated with small-molecule ligands targeting prostate-specific membrane antigen. These constructs achieved enhanced uptake in prostate cancer cell lines, triggered apoptosis and cell-cycle arrest, and produced significant tumour regression in xenograft models with minimal off-target toxicity. In parallel, the design of surfactant-stripped frozen micelles for hydrophobic taxanes—including cabazitaxel—has yielded kinetically stable nanosuspensions with high drug loading and negligible free excipient. This platform allows safe intravenous administration of potent cytotoxics and lays the groundwork for translating such formulations to prostate cancer drug regimens.

Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems in Prostate Cancer Therapy publication trend

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

Technical terms

Nanoparticle (NP): Nanoscale carrier (10–200 nm) designed to transport therapeutic or diagnostic agents to specific tissues or cells.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA): Cell-surface glycoprotein overexpressed in prostate cancer, utilised as a molecular target for active nanoparticle binding.

Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA): Biodegradable copolymer widely employed for controlled drug release in nanoparticle formulations.

PEGylation: Attachment of polyethylene glycol chains to particles or molecules to improve solubility, stability and circulation half-life.

Small interfering RNA (siRNA): Double-stranded RNA molecules that mediate sequence-specific degradation of target mRNA, enabling gene silencing.

Co-delivery: Simultaneous encapsulation and administration of two or more therapeutic agents within a single nanoparticle to achieve synergistic effects.

References

1. Targeted nanoparticles encapsulating (−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate for prostate cancer prevention and therapy. Scientific Reports (2017).
2. Therapeutic surfactant-stripped frozen micelles. Nature Communications (2016).
3. Docetaxel and Doxorubicin Codelivery by Nanocarriers for Synergistic Treatment of Prostate Cancer. Frontiers in Pharmacology (2019).
4. Progress in Delivery of siRNA-Based Therapeutics Employing Nano-Vehicles for Treatment of Prostate Cancer. Bioengineering (2020).