Cyclodextrin-based Advances in Cancer Drug Delivery: Revolutionizing Oncological Therapeutics

Abstract

Cancer remains a formidable global health challenge, necessitating innovative strategies to enhance therapeutic outcomes. Cyclodextrins (CDs), cyclic oligosaccharides with a unique hydrophilic exterior and a hydrophobic cavity, have emerged as versatile tools in drug delivery, offering solutions to challenges such as poor solubility, systemic toxicity, and non-specific targeting associated with conventional cancer therapies. This review highlights the critical role of CDs in revolutionizing oncological therapeutics by enhancing drug solubility, stability, and bioavailability through the formation of inclusion complexes. The structural adaptability of CDs enables the encapsulation of hydrophobic anticancer agents, minimizing toxicity and improving therapeutic indices. Advanced chemically modified derivatives, such as hydroxypropyl-β-cyclodextrin and sulfonated CDs, exhibit enhanced solubilization properties and targeted delivery capabilities, addressing key pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic challenges. Additionally, hybrid CD-based nanocarriers, combining CDs with nanoparticles and polymers, have demonstrated superior efficacy in controlled drug release and sitespecific delivery. This review provides an in-depth exploration of various CD types, their modifications, and their integration into next-generation drug delivery systems. It emphasizes their application in overcoming multidrug resistance, improving tumor specificity, and enabling personalized medicine approaches. By synthesizing recent advances, this article underscores the transformative potential of CDs in cancer therapeutics and outlines future research directions in this promising field.

Keywords: Cyclodextrins; cancer drug delivery; inclusion complexes; multidrug resistance; nanocarriers; oncological therapeutics; solubility enhancement; targeted drug delivery.