Targeted drug delivery strategies for oral cancer: the role of liposomes in drug delivery systems

Oral cavity cancer is a common malignancy worldwide, and its aggressiveness and resistance to conventional treatments pose a major therapeutic challenge. Targeted drug delivery strategies have emerged as a promising approach to overcome the limitations of conventional therapies, improving drug efficacy while minimizing systemic side effects. Among the various drug delivery systems, liposomes have gained considerable attention owing to their biocompatibility, ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, and surface modification capability to improve targeting accuracy. This review examines the role of liposomes in drug delivery for the treatment of oral cancer, focusing on their unique physicochemical properties that enable controlled drug release and targeted therapy. In addition, advances in liposome design, including active and passive targeting mechanisms, the incorporation of ligands for receptor-mediated drug delivery, and the potential for liposome-based systems to improve therapeutic outcomes in oral cancer. Despite the promising progress, challenges such as stability, drug leakage, and large-scale production remain. This review provides insights into the current status of liposomal drug delivery systems for oral cancer and offers an outlook on future directions to improve their clinical implementation and therapeutic potential.