Transferrin Receptor and Targeting Strategies

Abstract

Treatment of cancer is an extraordinary challenge using conventional therapy due to serious side effects. Targeted delivery of therapeutics has changed this paradigm. Among various approaches, receptor-mediated targeting presents great promise. Since transferrin receptor (TfR)Transferrin receptor (TfR) is known to be overarticulated in various cancers, it is a lucrative target in cancer research. TfR-mediated drug delivery can deliver therapeutic cargo into tumor cells to enhance cytotoxicity with significant reduction in systemic toxicity. This has propelled the exploration of innovative targeting approaches using nanodrug delivery systems. This chapter discusses the TfR physiology and related pathophysiology, and also summarizes various drug-targeting strategies and theranostics, which rely on transferrin (Tf) as the targeting ligand for cell-directed delivery. Further forays into evaluating TfR-mediated targeting as a strategy to tackle brain infections are also proposed.