The aim of the present review is to shed light on the nanotechnological approaches adopted to overcome the shortcomings associated with the delivery of venom peptides which possess inherent anti-cancer properties.
Venom peptides although have been reported to demonstrate anti-cancer effects, they suffer from several disadvantages such as in vivo instability, off-target adverse effects, limited drug loading and low bioavailability. This review presents a comprehensive compilation of different classes of nanocarriers while underscoring their advantages, disadvantages and potential to carry such peptide molecules for in vivo delivery. It also discusses various nanotechnological aspects such as methods of fabrication, analytical tools to assess these nanoparticulate formulations, modulation of nanocarrier polymer properties to enhance loading capacity, stability and improve their suitability to carry toxic peptide drugs.
Nanotechnological approaches bear great potential in delivering venom peptide-based molecules as anticancer agents by enhancing their bioavailability, stability, efficacy as well as offering a spatiotemporal delivery approach. However, the challenges associated with toxicity and biocompatibility of nanocarriers must be duly addressed.
The everlasting quest for new breakthroughs for safer delivery of venom peptides in human subjects is fuelled by unmet clinical needs in the current landscape of chemotherapy. In addition, exhaustive efforts are required in obtaining and purifying the venom peptides followed by designing and optimizing scale up technologies.