Alginate-based bionanocomposites for cancer therapy

Abstract

Alginate is a natural polymer widely produced by extraction from brown seaweeds. In recent years, the alginate-based systems have been designed and characterized as gels, matrices, membranes, beads, pellets, fibers, nano-/microspheres, etc. They have properties of mucoadhesive, biodegradable, biocompatible, nontoxic, easy availability for drug development, tissue engineering, and therapy and diagnosis of various diseases including cancer. Alginate-based carrier systems are exciting as they can overcome the handicaps associated with traditional chemotherapy. In the present review, the use of alginate-based bionanocomposites is discussed in vivo/in vitro applications for cancer therapy. It also focuses on the design, synthesis, and characterization of alginate-based bionanocomposites and their recent progress and perspectives. © 2021 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.