Prospects and Challenges of Chitosan-Based Drug Carriers for Anticancer Agents' Delivery Against Lung Cancer: A Review.

Lung cancer remains one of the leading causes of cancer-related mortality and morbidity worldwide. Despite significant advancements in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, there is an urgent need for innovative therapeutic approaches due to severe adverse reactions, escalating multidrug resistance, an increased risk of tumor recurrence, and the complexity of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have emerged as a novel strategy for lung cancer treatment by enhancing drug targeting, reducing toxic side effects, and improving bioavailability. Chitosan (CS) has emerged as a promising candidate material for anticancer drug delivery carriers due to its unique physicochemical properties, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. This review summarizes recent research progress on CS nanocarriers for lung cancer treatment and elucidates their challenges and future prospects for clinical transformation.