title: Recent advances in drug delivery strategies for treatment of ovarian cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ovarian cancer is associated with the highest mortality rate of all gynecological malignancies, due in part to inadequate treatment strategies and the asymptomatic nature of the disease. Current standard of care includes surgery and systemic chemotherapy. However, this approach can result in toxicities and eventual disease relapse, due to the emergence of multidrug resistance. Drug delivery systems (DDS) have shown promise in overcoming many of the limitations facing conventional treatment regimens.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review provides an overview of recent advances in DDS strategies for the treatment ovarian cancers. Nano-sized systems, including nanoparticles, micelles, liposomes and drug conjugates; microspheres; implants and injectable depots are discussed. The advantages, limitations and clinical potential of these strategies are also outlined.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nano-sized DDS enable passive targeting to tumors due to their size, and further improvements in tumor localization can be made using targeting moieties. Microspheres, implants and injectable depots have been investigated for peritoneal localized and sustained therapy. Overall, the benefits of using DDS for ovarian cancer therapy include higher drug levels at the diseased site, circumvention of drug resistance mechanisms, minimization of non-specific toxicities, improvements in solubility of poorly soluble drugs and elimination of toxicities associated with conventionally used pharmaceutical excipients.
authors.affiliation: University of Toronto, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy ,  144 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S-3M2 ,  Canada.
authors.forename: Payam
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zahedi
authors.forename: Roshan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yoganathan
authors.forename: Micheline
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Piquette-Miller
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Allen
mesh_terms: D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004343:Drug Implants; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D005079:Excipients / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007263:Infusions, Parenteral; D008081:Liposomes / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008823:Micelles; D008863:Microspheres; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D012995:Solubility; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004337:Drug Carriers; D004343:Drug Implants; D005079:Excipients; D008081:Liposomes; D008823:Micelles