Targeted Drug Delivery of Paclitaxel Using Nanostructured Lipid Carrier for Lung Cancer Therapy

Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide, highlighting the need for effective drug delivery strategies that improve therapeutic outcomes and minimize systemic toxicity. Paclitaxel, a taxane-class anticancer agent, is widely used in selected lung cancer treatment regimens. However, its poor aqueous solubility, formulation-related challenges, systemic adverse effects, and potential for drug resistance limit its therapeutic effectiveness. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have emerged as promising second-generation lipid-based drug delivery systems composed of solid lipids and liquid lipids stabilized by surfactants. These carriers offer potential advantages, including improved drug incorporation, enhanced formulation stability, and controlled or sustained drug release. This review focuses on the targeted delivery of paclitaxel using NLCs for lung cancer therapy, emphasizing their composition, structural characteristics, preparation methods, and mechanisms of drug delivery. It also discusses the characterization and quality assessment of paclitaxel-loaded NLCs, including particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, encapsulation efficiency, drug-loading capacity, in-vitro drug release, and stability. Furthermore, emerging approaches such as surface-functionalized NLCs, ligand-mediated targeting, pulmonary drug delivery, stimuli-responsive systems, and combination therapy are explored. Despite their potential to improve drug delivery and tumour exposure, challenges related to formulation optimization, long-term stability, large-scale manufacturing, biological variability, and clinical translation remain. Further preclinical and clinical investigations are required to establish the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic advantages of paclitaxel-loaded NLCs in lung cancer management.