Traditional Chinese medicine-based drug delivery systems for anti-tumor therapies

The treatment of tumors remains a significant challenge in modern medicine. Despite multiple treatment modalities, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, therapeutic outcomes remain limited and frequently present adverse effects with varying efficacy across cancer types. Recent research demonstrates the potential of active components from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in cancer treatment, attributed to their multi-targeted mechanisms and broad pharmacological effects. However, TCM-derived compounds face limitations due to poor water solubility, low bioavailability, and inadequate targeting. Advances in nanotechnology offer potential solutions to these challenges. Nanoparticles (NPs), characterized by enhanced bioavailability, controlled release, and precise targeting capabilities, demonstrate improved therapeutic efficacy of TCM components in cancer therapy. This review examines the application of NPs for delivering active TCM compounds through organic-inorganic nanocarriers, emphasizing innovative strategies that enhance TCM-based anti-tumor component efficacy to improve clinical outcomes while advancing TCM modernization and global implementation in oncology.