Recent nanotechnological aspects and molecular targeting strategies for lung cancer therapy

Lung cancer is a complicated thoracic malignancy globally, resulting in molecular, biomolecular, and signaling pathway abnormalities. It is the most lethal form of cancer among males and females of all age groups. The annual incidence rate is 12%, and the death rate is 15% reported. The paradigm of gloomy diagnosis in the early stage of the diseases and metastatic/resistant tumor cell populations reinforces the necessary multidisciplinary advanced adaptive research procedures like molecular targeting and nanotechnology. This review emphasizes pivotal research on advanced novel treatment strategies for the management of lung cancer and under this, the application of molecular targeting, i.e., EGFR inhibitors, BRAF inhibitors, MEK inhibitors, ROS1 inhibitors, and ALK inhibitors with nanocarrier approaches such as liposomes, quantum dots, polymeric nanoparticles, biomimetic nanocarriers, and SLNs has been described. In the nanotechnology approach, the tremendous role of nanoparticles as drug carriers, bionanocarriers, and nanotheranostics is briefly illustrated.