A systematic review of advances in plant-based phospholipid liposomes in breast cancer therapy: characterization, innovations, clinical applications, and future directions

Marwa Alawi, Najihah Mohd Hashim, Noraini Ahmad, Syed Mahmood*, Yi Ge*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

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Abstract

Introduction: Plant-based phospholipid (PP) liposomes are sustainable, biocompatible, and biodegradable carriers with advantages over synthetic and animal-derived lipids, including lower immunogenic risk and abundant availability from sources such as soy, sunflower, and canola. This systematic review examines their characteristics, innovations, and applications in breast cancer (BCA) therapy.

Methods: A total of 43 studies published between 2010 and June 2025 were identified from MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science, focusing on PP composition, drug delivery mechanisms, and therapeutic efficacy in in vitro, in vivo, and preclinical BCA models.

Results: Advances include nanotechnology and ligand-targeted systems that improve stability, control drug release, and enhance tumor-specific uptake. PP liposomes co-loaded with chemotherapeutics showed synergistic anticancer effects, increased tumor accumulation, and reduced systemic toxicity. Personalized targeting strategies further improved therapeutic precision and minimized off-target effects.

Conclusions: PP liposomes offer an innovative and environmentally sustainable approach for BCA treatment with demonstrated preclinical benefits in efficacy and safety. Translation to clinical practice requires standardized characterization, scalable production, and well-designed trials to confirm safety, dosing, and long-term effectiveness.


Original languageEnglish
Article number1288
Number of pages45
JournalPharmaceuticals
Volume18
Issue number9
Early online date28 Aug 2025
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2025

Keywords

  • breast cancer
  • drug delivery
  • plant-based phospholipid

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