Nano-interventions for the drug delivery of docetaxel to cancer cells

Docetaxel (DTX) has been reported to be one of the most effective anticancer agents with wide application in various cancer therapy. Conversely, it has under utilized clinical application owing to its compromised aqueous solubility, dose-dependent and systemic toxicity. However, the recent advances in drug delivery systems (DDS) and nanotechnology have addressed the aforementioned drawbacks of such drugs. The novel DDS of DTX are worth enhancing aqueous solubility and minimizing dose-dependent-side effects. Also, they have shown great potential as targeted delivery to the tumor site with improved biodistribution and drug retention in the tumor vicinity. This review summarizes the current status of DTX DDS and nanostructured formulations comprising nanoparticles, lipid-based delivery, carbon nanotubes and quantum dots (QDs) with a focus on enhanced therapeutic outcomes. It also summarizes previous and current in-vitro, in-vivo, cell lines studies and clinical trials-based pieces of evidence corroborating the inherited promises.