title: Statins anticancer targeted delivery systems: re-purposing an old molecule.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Exploring the use of statins as anticancer agents and exploiting different drug delivery systems in targeting these molecules to cancerous sites. Literature review was performed to investigate the use of statins in cancer treatment in one hand, and the different pharmaceutical approaches to deliver and target these drugs to their site of action.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Statins were used for decades as antihypercholestrolemic drugs but recently have been proven potential for broad anticancer activities. The incorporation of statins in nanoparticulate drug delivery systems not only augmented the cytotoxicity of statins but also overcame the resistance of cancerous cells against the traditional chemotherapeutic agents. Statins-loaded nanoparticles could be easily tampered to target the cancerous cells and consequently minimal drug amount could be utilized.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This review reconnoitered the different endeavors to incorporate statins in various nanoparticles and summarized the successful effects in targeting cancerous cells and reducing their proliferation without the side effects of commonly used chemotherapeutic agents.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sally
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Safwat
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rania A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Ishak
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Rania M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hathout
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics and Industrial Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Ain Shams University, Abbassia, Cairo, Egypt.
authors.forename: Nahed D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Mortada
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems / Q000379:methods; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
keywords: cancer; nanoparticles; statins; targeted delivery