Recent advances in targeted nanotherapeutic approaches for breast cancer management

Lay abstract Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women around the world with a high death rate. Current treatment methods are not able to cure this disease completely. Recently, nanoparticles have been used to deliver anticancer drugs to breast cancer cells. Targeting the breast cancer stem cells (cells from which breast cancer cells develop) also shows significant results in treating this disease. Furthermore, exosomes (nanosized sac-like structures that originate from normal cells) appear to have a natural targeting ability toward triple-negative breast cancer. These topics, and more, are discussed in this review, highlighting the recent advancements made in the field of nanomedical breast cancer management. Breast cancer is the most commonly occurring tumor disease worldwide. Breast cancer is currently managed by conventional chemotherapy, which is inadequate in curbing this heterogeneous disease and results in off-site toxic effects, suggesting effective treatment approaches with better therapeutic profiles are needed. This review, therefore, focuses on the recent advancements in delivering therapeutics to the target site using passive and/or active targeted nanodrug-delivery systems to ameliorate endolysosomal escape. In addition, recent strategies in targeting breast cancer stem cells are discussed. The role of naturally cell-secreted nanovesicles (exosomes) in the management of triple-negative breast cancer is also discussed.