Emulsomes in Cancer Therapy: Emerging Advances in Nanomedicine.

Abstract

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and continues to pose significant challenges in treatment. Poor drug solubility, non-specific distribution, MDR, and systemic toxicity remain some of the major concerns regarding treatment efficacy. Emulsomes represent a promising drug delivery platform that helps overcome some of these limitations, acting as hybrid nanocarrier systems that incorporate the advantages of liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles. This article provides an overview of the composition, structure, and physicochemical properties of emulsomes, their advantages over conventional nanocarriers, and a detailed discussion of their role in cancer treatment. The authors discuss a variety of medicinal substances, including chemotherapeutic drugs and natural chemicals, that are delivered using emulsomes. Current research highlights the potential application of emulsomes across a wide range of cancers, including colon, brain, lung, prostate, breast, and hematologic malignancies. These features are compared with those of other nanocarriers with respect to composition, size (nm), stability, tumor-targeting capacity, biocompatibility, and toxicity. In addition, this work further highlights the current in vitro and in vivo evaluations of emulsomes, along with a thorough discussion of formulation challenges, scaling issues, and regulatory considerations. Lastly, this study covers recent advancements and potential future applications, including AI-enabled surface modification for targeted distribution, personalized medication, theragnostic applications, and emulsome design optimization. Overall, this study provides a strong foundation for understanding the current and future potential of emulsomes in managing various types of cancer.