Abstract

Effective delivery of anticancer drugs to tumor sites remains a substantial challenge in cancer treatment. A significant effort has been devoted to delivering anticancer drugs to the intended targets without causing harm to normal body cells. The need to enhance the efficacy and selectivity of chemotherapeutic drugs while minimizing adverse effects on healthy tissues has resulted in increased attention. A mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSNP) platform is promising due to low toxicity, controlled release profiles, excellent drug loading capacity, and surface modification for targeting. The literature has outlined the synthesis, fabrication, drug loading and release profile, pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, toxicology, and potential outcomes of employing MSNP for anticancer drug delivery. However, the information is dispersed. This review aims to provide a comprehensive examination of the current research on MSNP for efficient drug delivery in cancer therapy based on over 150 preclinical studies up to March 2025. The review highlights the importance of MSNPs in addressing major challenges in targeted drug delivery for cancer therapy and offers a clear summary of the current state of research. This article will serve as an updated and valuable reference for researchers working on MSNP for anticancer drug delivery.

Key words: Chemotherapeutic drugs, mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSNP), targeted anticancer drug delivery, clinical research, biodistribution, toxicology