Lipid-based nanoparticles as a promising treatment for the skin cancer

The skin is the largest organ in the human body, which protects the external surface of the body effectively. The most important task of skin is physical, chemical, and safety protection between the body, and the external environment [1]. Any anomaly happening in this layer will result in diverse sorts of skin insults, and cancers are one of the most important. Radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and surgery have made significant advances in treating cancer over the past few years. There has been limited success with conventional therapeutic strategies for the treatment of cancer due to systemic adverse effects, drug resistance, and suboptimal drug concentrations at the site of the tumor [2]. Conversely, topical application of drugs or active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) is restricted by the physical and chemical barriers of the skin. For effective treatment of skin diseases, APIs should be formulated in a well-coordinated vehicle capable of regulating epidermal penetration, inhibiting irritation, and providing maximum protection against skin diseases [3]. The potential role of nanoparticles in the treatment of various types of cancer has attracted increased attention in recent decades [4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Nanoparticles can target drug delivery system, meaning they can be designed to encapsulate chemotherapy drugs or targeted therapies and release them selectively in cancer cells. This ensures that a higher concentration of the drug is delivered to the tumor site while minimizing the side effects on surrounding healthy tissue. Additionally, nanoparticles can also act as contrast agents in imaging modalities, aiding in early detection and diagnosis [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14].

Skin disorders and skin cancers can be treated with different phospholipid vesicles since they concentrate drugs at the site of action and can minimize adverse effects by predicting the drug’s systemic absorption [15, 16]. There are many types of nanoparticles, but lipid-based nanoparticles are unique biocompatible carriers that have attracted much attention in the treatment of cancer. Because of their unique characteristics, these nanoparticles have several applications in biomedicine, including the encapsulation and transport of hydrophilic as well as hydrophobic drugs, and the controlled and targeted release of drugs [17, 18, 19, 20]. In addition to improving transdermal delivery, lipid-based nanoparticles can be utilized as models for skin membranes [21].