Targeted Cancer Therapy; Nanotechnology Approaches for Overcoming Drug Resistance

Recent advances in cancer molecular biology have resulted in parallel and unprecedented progress in the development of targeted cancer therapy. Targeted therapy can provide higher efficacy and lower toxicity than conventional chemotherapy for cancer. However, like traditional chemotherapy, molecularly targeted cancer therapy also faces the challenge of drug resistance. Multiple mechanisms are responsible for chemotherapy resistance in tumors, including over-expression of efflux transporters, somatic alterations of drug targets, deregulation of apoptosis, and numerous pharmacokinetic issues. Nanotechnology based approaches are proving to be efficacious in overcoming drug resistance in cancer. Combination of targeted therapies with nanotechnology approaches is a promising strategy to overcome targeted therapy drug resistance in cancer treatment. This review discusses the mechanisms of targeted drug resistance in cancer and discusses nanotechnology approaches to circumvent this resistance.