Poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) Nanoparticles for Lung Cancer Therapy: Current Progress, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related morbidity and mortality worldwide, highlighting the need for safer and more effective therapeutic approaches. Conventional chemotherapy is often limited by poor drug solubility, nonspecific distribution, systemic toxicity, and the development of multidrug resistance. Poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles have emerged as promising drug delivery systems because of their biodegradability, biocompatibility, tunable physicochemical properties, and ability to provide controlled and sustained drug release. This review comprehensively discusses the potential of PLGA nanoparticles in lung cancer treatment, focusing on their role in improving drug solubility, stability, cellular uptake, tumor targeting, and therapeutic efficacy. The review also examines strategies for surface modification and ligand-mediated targeting, pulmonary delivery, and co-delivery of chemotherapeutic agents with natural compounds or nucleic acids to address multidrug resistance. Recent advances in PLGA-based systems for targeted and combination therapy are discussed, along with their potential to reduce systemic toxicity and enhance therapeutic outcomes. Overall, PLGA nanoparticles represent a versatile platform with considerable potential for developing targeted and personalized therapeutic strategies for lung cancer.