An Up-to-date Review on Protein-based Nanocarriers in the Management of Cancer

Background A big health issue facing the world's population is cancer. An alarming increase in cancer patients was anticipated by worldwide demographic statistics, which showed that the number of patients with different malignancies was rapidly increasing. By 2025, probably 420 million cases were projected to be achieved. The most common cancers diagnosed are breast, colorectal, prostate, and lung. Conventional treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, have been practiced. Objective In recent years, the area of cancer therapy has changed dramatically with expanded studies on the molecular-level detection and treatment of cancer. Recent advances in cancer research have seen significant advances in therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy, although both have limitations in effectiveness and toxicity. Methods The development of nanotechnology for anticancer drug delivery has developed several potentials as nanocarriers, which may boost the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic effects of the drug product and substantially reduce the side effects. Results The advancement in non-viral to viral-based protein-based nanocarriers for treating cancer has earned further recognition in this respect. Many scientific breakthroughs have relied on protein-based nanocarriers, and proteins are essential organic macromolecules for life. It allows targeted delivery of passive or active tumors using non-viral-based protein-based nanocarriers to viral-based protein nanocarriers. When targeting cancer cells, both animal and plant proteins may be used in a formulation process to create self-assembled viruses and platforms that can successfully eradicate metastatic cancer cells. Conclusion This review, therefore, explores in depth the applications of non-viral to viral protein-based noncarriers with a specific focus on intracellular drug delivery and anti-cancer drug targeting ability.