Advanced Drug Delivery Systems in the Management of Cancer

Advanced Drug Delivery Systems in the Management of Cancer discusses recent developments in nanomedicine and nano-based drug delivery systems used in the treatment of cancers affecting the blood, lungs, brain, and kidneys. The research presented in this book includes international collaborations in the area of novel drug delivery for the treatment of cancer. Cancer therapy remains one of the greatest challenges in modern medicine, as successful treatment requires the elimination of malignant cells that are closely related to normal cells within the body. Advanced drug delivery systems are carriers for a wide range of pharmacotherapies used in many applications, including cancer treatment. The use of such carrier systems in cancer treatment is growing rapidly as they help overcome the limitations associated with conventional drug delivery systems. Some of the conventional limitations that these advanced drug delivery systems help overcome include nonspecific targeting, systemic toxicity, poor oral bioavailability, reduced efficacy, and low therapeutic index.

This book begins with a brief introduction to cancer biology. This is followed by an overview of the current landscape in pharmacotherapy for the cancer management. The need for advanced drug delivery systems in oncology and cancer treatment is established, and the systems that can be used for several specific cancers are discussed. Several chapters of the book are devoted to discussing the latest technologies and advances in nanotechnology. These include practical solutions on how to design a more effective nanocarrier for the drugs used in cancer therapeutics. Each chapter is written with the goal of informing readers about the latest advancements in drug delivery system technologies while reinforcing understanding through various detailed tables, figures, and illustrations.

Advanced Drug Delivery Systems in the Management of Cancer is a valuable resource for anyone working in the fields of cancer biology and drug delivery, whether in academia, research, or industry. The book will be especially useful for researchers in drug formulation and drug delivery as well as for biological and translational researchers working in the field of cancer.

Kamal Dua is a Professor in the NICM Health Research Institute and the School of Science at Western Sydney University (WSU). Dr Dua has been recognised and named as one of Australia’s Top 250 researchers in 2026, 2025 and 2024 in Research Magazine by “The Australian” in the research discipline of Health and Medical sciences, and #1/research leader in the area of Pharmacology and Pharmacy (2026, 2025) and Toxicology (2024) respectively. With over 17 years of research experience, he has specialised in drug delivery targeting inflammatory diseases. Additionally, Dr Dua also leads drug delivery research at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. In this role, he focuses on advancing targets identified in research projects to develop innovative formulations, taking the first steps toward clinical translation. Dr Dua’s research encompasses two complementary areas: drug delivery and immunology. His work explores how these disciplines can mutually benefit, contributing to the goal of promoting longer and healthier lives for the community. His commitment to synergy is reflected in his extensive publication record in reputable journals. Dr Dua’s research interests are centered on harnessing the pharmaceutical potential of modulating critical regulators, such as interleukins and microRNAs. He also specialises in developing new and effective drug delivery formulations for managing inflammation in chronic airway diseases and cancer.

Meenu Mehta is a research scholar at the Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health, the University of Technology Sydney. Her research is focused in the area of pharmaceutical technologies developing novel drug delivery systems for chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD), and lung cancer. She has obtained her M. Pharm degree in Pharmaceutical
Sciences in India, where she has gained working experience in several areas such as drug development, analytical methods, pharmacognosy studies, microwave techniques, and nanotechnology-based novel drug delivery systems. Mehta has received various awards and carries an impressive bibliography of scientific papers published in journals of international repute.

Terezinha de Jesus Andreoli Pinto is a Professor at the School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo. Professor Terezinha holds more than 40 years of sound experience in academia and researches on parenterals (formulation, analytical, microbiological, and performance methods) and medical devices. Professor Terezinha authored 180 articles in scientific journals, more than 12 book chapters and also holds two patents. Alongside her career, Professor Terezinha took on management roles in the University, such as being dean of School of Pharmacy for two mandates (2004–2008 and 2012–2016) and also being chair of Deliberative Board of FURP―a pharmaceutical firm that manufactures products from the WHO Essential Medicines list, run by Sao Paulo State Government. Strong scientific skills allied to leadership and management allowed her to establish agreements with internationally prestigious institutions including the University of Alberta, Lisbon, and Bath. Under her supervision, the CONFAR Laboratory was set up, the only Brazilian state university laboratory accredited by the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (INMETRO) (ISO/IEC 17025) and, authorized by the National Agency of Sanitary Surveillance (ANVISA) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Supplies (MAPA), and is considered a reference both in Brazil and overseas, in the analytical area. Professor Terezinha is also involved with standard-setting activities in agencies such as Brazilian Pharmacopeia (as coordinator of the Brazilian Pharmacopeia Drug Product and Medical Devices technical committee, and currently member of Biological and Biotechnological Products Committee), International Standard Organization (ISO) as Brazilian Association of Technical Norms (ABNT) representative and also the United States Pharmacopeia stakeholder with participation in convention current cycle.

Lisa G. Pont is a Professor in the Discipline of Pharmacy, Graduate School of Health at the University of Technology Sydney. Pont is a pharmacoepidemiologist with expertise in medicine utilization and health service research to evaluate, understand, and improve the quality and safety of medicine use in practice. Her research explores current practices and patterns of medicines use across populations with a focus on the safety and quality of prescribing and medicines use. Throughout her career, Professor Pont has received a number of awards including two national NPS MedicineWise awards in 2014 and in 2016 for her research. She is a registered pharmacist and was awarded the Society of Hospital Pharmacist of Australia Medal of Merit in 2018.

Kylie A. Williams is a pharmacist and academic leader. She is a founding member of the Graduate School of Health at University of Technology Sydney (UTS), where she is currently the Head of Pharmacy and the Deputy Head of School Learning & Teaching. She has over 25 years of academic experience in learning and teaching, curricula development, research, and academic leadership. Professor Williams leads a research team focused on development, implementation, and evaluation of new models of pharmacy and health service delivery. Alongside her research expertise, Professor Williams is internationally recognized for her curriculum development, and has received a number of teaching grants and awards and has coauthored numerous teaching-related peer-reviewed journal articles, professional books, and educational articles for pharmacists.