Assessing the potential role of scaffold-mediated local chemotherapy in oral cancer

Chemotherapy entails a fine balance between inducing cytotoxicity in cancer cells while preserving the integrity of the normal cells. Chemotherapy, unlike surgery or radiotherapy, is not precisely targeted and leads to non-selective accumulation of drugs in healthy tissues. The past decade has seen the invent of several targeted therapy systems to minimize cytotoxic effects on healthy tissues [1–3]. The nanoparticle-mediated delivery system has gained popularity in the past two decades. Although nanoparticles aid in the targeted delivery of the chemotherapeutic agents, the nanoparticles (Doxil, gold, silver, etc.) themselves have shown to have cytotoxic effects [4–7], thus restricting their use in cancer therapy.

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