| Introduction: Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has broad biomedical utilizations
owing to its availability, low cost, safety, biocompatibility, pH-sensitivity and
slow biodegradability. Recently, there has been widespread interest in their
application as drug delivery systems for different groups of drugs. Among
them, CaCO3 nanoparticles have exhibited promising potential as drug carriers
targeting cancer tissues and cells. The pH-dependent properties, alongside
the potential to be functionalized with targeting agents give them the
unique property that can be used in targeted delivery systems for anticancer
drugs. Also, due to the slow degradation of CaCO3 matrices, these nanoparticles
can be used as sustained release systems to retain drugs in cancer tissues
for longer times after administration.
Areas covered: Development of drug delivery carriers using CaCO3 nanoparticles
has been reviewed. The current state of CaCO3 nanoparticles as cancer
drug delivery systems with focus on their special properties like pH-sensitivity
and biodegradability has also been evaluated.
Expert opinion: According to our review, CaCO3 nanoparticles, owing to their
special characteristics, |