Table 2 PLGA-based nanoparticles with their targeting ligand and applications

Afatinib

None

Intracellular tyrosine kinase

180.2 ± 15.6 nm

Enhanced cytotoxicity KRAS-mutated NSCLC cell lines

Metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

In vitro

(Elbatanony et al. 2021)

Docetaxel

Hyaluronic acid, disulfide-crosslinked star-PLGA

CD44-overexpressing A549 cells

105.5 ± 0.5 nm

Elimination half-life prolonged, better suppression of subcutaneous A549 lung tumor

Lung cancer cells

Preclinical

(Wang et al. 2021)

Chrysin

PEG

T47D & MCF7 breast cancer cell lines

70–300 nm

Higher absorption by breast cancer cell lines

It may be used in breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers

Preclinical

(Anari et al. 2016)

Trametinib

Melanoma-specific anti-gp100/HLA-A2 T-cell receptor (TCR) (Armenia Hamster IgG)

Melanoma cancer cells

193 ± 5.6 nm

In vitro: Excellent targeting and minimum toxicity and systemic clearance concerns

In vivo: Intrinsic targeting, prolonged drug release, and therapeutic potential

Theragnostic carrier platform

Preclinical

(Yaman et al. 2020)

Pheophorbide

PEG and Folate

Human gastric cancer

200 nm

In vivo: Imaging showed high accumulation of FA-PLGA-Pba NPs in tumor site

Photodynamic chemotherapy (PDT)

Preclinical

(Son et al. 2018)

Noscapine

None

4T1 breast cancer cell line

101±4.8nm

Antiangiogenic effect

Combination treatment Doxorubicin in breast cancer

Preclinical

(Esnaashari et al. 2020)

Indomycin green & Requisimide (dual-functional PLGA-ICG-R848 NPs

None

RM9 cells

157.7 nm

PTT with immunotherapy against PCa.

Low and/or intermediate risk prostate cancer

Preclinical

(Lin et al. 2021)

PRECIOUS-01 (NY-ESO-1 antigen coloaded with IMM60)

--

CD8+ T

Not available

Immunotherapy

Advanced solid tumor

Clinical trials phase 1

(Creemers et al. 2021)