Improved antitumor efficacy of paclitaxel with nano-formulation in breast cancer

Abstract

Breast cancer has been brought to the forefront of scientific research because of its increasing incidence as well as the growing demands to prolong the life span of patients and improve their quality of life. Paclitaxel (PTX), a small-molecule cytotoxic agent, is one of the most effective anti-cancer drugs against a variety of solid tumors, including breast cancer. Taxol®, a commercial preparation of PTX, has been widely used for the treatment of breast cancer since its approval for use by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1994. However, further development is limited by its poor aqueous solubility and by P-gp substrate and complex synthesis caused by excipient (Cremophor EL) used. Thus, there exist an urgent need to design and develop new-generation formulations of PTX, especially nano-formulations, to maximize the therapeutic effects and minimize the side effects. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the treatment of breast cancer with different formulations of PTX.