title: Biodegradable polymers for targeted delivery of anti-cancer drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Biodegradable polymers have been used for more than three decades in cancer treatment and have received increased interest in recent years. A range of biodegradable polymeric drug delivery systems designed for localized and systemic administration of therapeutic agents as well as tumor-targeting macromolecules has entered into the clinical phase of development, indicating the significance of biodegradable polymers in cancer therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  This review elaborates upon applications of biodegradable polymers in the delivery and targeting of anti-cancer agents. Design of various drug delivery systems based on biodegradable polymers has been described. Moreover, the indication of polymers in the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs via passive, active targeting, and localized drug delivery are also covered.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biodegradable polymer-based drug delivery systems have the potential to deliver the payload to the target and can enhance drug availability at desired sites. Systemic toxicity and serious side effects observed with conventional cancer therapeutics can be significantly reduced with targeted polymeric systems. Still, there are many challenges that need to be met with respect to the degradation kinetics of the system, diffusion of drug payload within solid tumors, targeting tumoral tissue and tumor heterogeneity.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmaceutics , National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) , Hyderabad , India.
authors.forename: Sindhu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Doppalapudi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmaceutics , National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) , Hyderabad , India.
authors.forename: Anjali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: b School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine , The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem College of Engineering (JCE) , Jerusalem , Israel.
authors.forename: Abraham J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Domb
authors.affiliation: a Department of Pharmaceutics , National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER) , Hyderabad , India.
authors.forename: Wahid
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Khan
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D011108:Polymers / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004337:Drug Carriers; D011108:Polymers
keywords: Biodegradable polymers; chemotherapeutics; controlled release; intratumoral delivery; polymeric carriers; targeting