Definition and research guide
This page combines a MeSH definition, publication statistics and selected research abstracts. It is a starting point for reading the literature, not a medical textbook or a systematic evidence review.
Content available: 3 complete abstracts (700 words), 9 references. Full article text is not stored or reproduced here; follow the PMID, DOI or PMC links to read the original sources and their access terms.
Definition
Forms to which substances are incorporated to improve the delivery and the effectiveness of drugs. Drug carriers are used in drug-delivery systems such as the controlled-release technology to prolong in vivo drug actions, decrease drug metabolism, and reduce drug toxicity. Carriers are also used in designs to increase the effectiveness of drug delivery to the target sites of pharmacological actions. Liposomes, albumin microspheres, soluble synthetic polymers, DNA complexes, protein-drug conjugates, and carrier erythrocytes among others have been employed as biodegradable drug carriers.
Definition: NLM Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) scope note (Public domain (U.S. National Library of Medicine); attribution requested). View the MeSH record.
Also known as: Drug Carrier.
Where it fits in the MeSH classification
- Broader topics
- Dosage Forms; Drug Delivery Systems
- Narrower topics
- Elastin-Like Polypeptides; Liposomes; Nanocapsules; Nanoconjugates; Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System; Phytosomes; Virosomes; Dendrimers
- See also
- Magnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles
Research landscape
PubMed indexes 122,816 records tagged with the MeSH heading “Drug Carriers” (counts retrieved 2026-10-29). 33,991 of them (27.7%) were published from 2020 onward, and the busiest period so far is 2010-2019 with 47,768 records.
Reviews account for 15,432 records (12.6%) and meta-analyses for 96. Randomized controlled trials number 837 (0.7%) as a share of all records on the topic. Randomized trials make up only a small share of this literature, so much of what is known comes from laboratory, observational or descriptive work.
Show the data
| Period | Records |
|---|---|
| through 1999 | 19,002 |
| 2000-2009 | 22,055 |
| 2010-2019 | 47,768 |
| 2020 onward | 33,991 |
Publication-type chart data
| Type | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 15,432 | 12.6% |
| Meta-analyses | 96 | 0.1% |
| Randomized controlled trials | 837 | 0.7% |
Method: PubMed query "Drug Carriers"[MeSH Terms] with publication-type and date filters, retrieved 2026-10-29.
Reading the evidence in pharmacology
Drug evidence builds in layers: laboratory pharmacology describes how a compound acts, pharmacokinetic studies describe how the body handles it, and randomized trials test whether it helps and what harms it causes. Post-marketing surveillance and observational studies reveal rarer adverse effects but cannot prove causation. This page is educational and is not a recommendation to start, stop or change any medicine; decisions about treatment belong with a qualified clinician.
Evidence from open-access studies
These open-access studies come from PubMed’s best-match results for this heading (papers whose main topic it is), ranked here by citation count, with one recent addition. Each abstract is reproduced in full under its recorded open licence so that you can read the authors’ own words. They illustrate the literature; they are not a systematic summary of it. Citation counts measure attention, not reliability or clinical benefit.
| Study / authors | Year | Source label / design | Europe PMC citations | Licence / source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2-Deoxyglucose Dendrimer-Enabled Niclosamide Delivery to FRβ-Expressing Macrophages Alleviates Endometriosis Progression and Associated Hyperalgesia | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42670248 · DOI · PMC13650810 |
| Nanovaccines with ferroptosis, necroptosis and STING-activation for synergistic immunotherapy | 2026 | Research article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42116166 · DOI · PMC13255514 |
| Liposomal nanotherapeutics for cancer treatment: Targeted delivery and immunotherapy | 2026 | Review article Design not recorded in structured metadata | 2 | cc by PMID 42017406 · DOI · PMC13111859 |
2-Deoxyglucose Dendrimer-Enabled Niclosamide Delivery to FRβ-Expressing Macrophages Alleviates Endometriosis Progression and Associated Hyperalgesia [1]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Endometriosis (EuE) is a chronic, incurable disease.
- Closing excerpt
- Together, these findings establish FRβ+ macrophages as a potential target in EuE and present FA-2DG-D-Niclo as a nonhormonal, macrophage-focused nanomedicine for precise and effective endometriosis treatment.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (195 words)
Endometriosis (EuE) is a chronic, incurable disease. Due to limited efficacy, high recurrence rates, and serious side effects of current treatments, development of new, targeted, nonhormonal therapies is urgently needed. We previously reported that niclosamide, an FDA-approved anthelmintic drug, attenuates endometriotic lesion growth. We further identified folate receptor-β (FRβ)-positive macrophages as contributors to disease progression. Significantly, niclosamide inhibits FRβ+ macrophages and reduces inflammation, innervation, and angiogenesis. To develop niclosamide as a nonhormonal and selective immune cell-targeted therapy for EuE, we engineered a folic acid (FA)-conjugated 2-deoxyglucose dendrimer (FA-2DG-D) using click chemistry to enable selective FRβ-mediated uptake. Conjugation of niclosamide to FA-2DG-D yielded a targeted nanotherapeutic (FA-2DG-D-Niclo) with enhanced aqueous solubility, controlled intracellular release, and excellent batch-to-batch reproducibility. In a mouse model of EuE, FA-2DG-D demonstrated lesion-specific accumulation and selective internalization by FRβ+ macrophages with minimal off-target organ retention. A single intraperitoneal dose of FA-2DG-D-Niclo (25 or 50 mg/kg/bw of niclosamide) significantly reduced FRβ+ macrophage burden, suppressed lesion number and volume, and markedly improved EuE-associated hyperalgesia at 2 weeks post-treatment. Together, these findings establish FRβ+ macrophages as a potential target in EuE and present FA-2DG-D-Niclo as a nonhormonal, macrophage-focused nanomedicine for precise and effective endometriosis treatment.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42670248 · DOI · PMC13650810
Nanovaccines with ferroptosis, necroptosis and STING-activation for synergistic immunotherapy [2]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Nanovaccines based on immunogenic cell death (ICD) present a promising strategy in tumor immunotherapy, serving as a bridge connecting tumor cell death to the induction of anti-tumor immunity.
- Closing excerpt
- This strategy coordinates with the STING pathway to achieve potent antitumor immunity, providing a promising paradigm for HCC treatment, and offering a promising and translatable path for clinical development.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (256 words)
Nanovaccines based on immunogenic cell death (ICD) present a promising strategy in tumor immunotherapy, serving as a bridge connecting tumor cell death to the induction of anti-tumor immunity. However, their efficacy is severely limited by the immunologically silent nature of apoptosis-dependent ICD and the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). In this work, we designed a metal‒polyphenol network nanovaccine (SRF@FeShik-cGAMP/HA). Upon reaching the tumor tissue through specific targeting, the nanovaccines disassemble within the tumor cells, releasing the Fenton reaction catalyst ferrous iron (Fe2+), the system Xc- inhibitor sorafenib (SRF), and necroptosis inducer shikonin. Fe2+, SRF, and shikonin collectively promote the accumulation of lipid peroxide and amplify ferroptosis by providing an exogenous iron source, inhibiting glutathione biosynthesis, and boosting reactive oxygen species production, respectively. Meanwhile, shikonin induces necroptosis. The combination of ferroptosis and necroptosis overcomes the limitation of tumor immune silencing and triggers a strong ICD. Simultaneously, the immune adjuvant 2'3'-cyclic-GMP-AMP (cGAMP) activates the STING pathway, reversing the immunosuppressive TME and enhancing the anti-tumor immune response mediated by ICD. The synergistic action of ferroptosis, necroptosis, and the STING pathway produces a cascade of antitumor immune responses and establishes long-term immune memory. This nanovaccine demonstrates promising therapeutic effects in primary, orthotopic, and recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) models. Collectively, our findings present a cancer immunotherapy strategy that exploits dual ferroptosis and necroptosis induction to trigger ICD, bypassing the limitations of apoptosis-dependent pathways. This strategy coordinates with the STING pathway to achieve potent antitumor immunity, providing a promising paradigm for HCC treatment, and offering a promising and translatable path for clinical development.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42116166 · DOI · PMC13255514
Liposomal nanotherapeutics for cancer treatment: Targeted delivery and immunotherapy [3]
Abstract reading summary — source excerpts
- Opening excerpt
- Cancer has become a major global health crisis and the second leading cause of death worldwide.
- Closing excerpt
- It emphasizes the evolution of their formulations to overcome potential limitations, making them highly tumor-specific and effective.
- Interpretation limits
- Verbatim excerpts from the authors’ abstract; the closing excerpt may describe a finding, limitation or recommendation. Design, population, effect size and uncertainty have not been independently extracted or appraised. Read the complete abstract and linked paper before interpreting the findings.
Read complete abstract (249 words)
Cancer has become a major global health crisis and the second leading cause of death worldwide. With over 270 different types, it is estimated to claim 13 million lives by 2030. The complex pathophysiology of cancer, with its diverse genetic, epigenetic, and biochemical pathways, complicates the diagnostic criteria. Therapeutic approaches such as surgical interventions, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy have been developed. However, the treatment is still challenging due to higher costs, toxicity, off-target effects, and comorbid conditions. Over the decades, liposomes, based on their particle size, surface charge, lipid composition, and lamellarity, have been explored for different therapeutic modalities for other cancers. They offer unique advantages, including improved drug efficacy, controlled site-specific release, enhanced cellular uptake, reduced systemic toxicity, and greater capacity to overcome tumor-induced resistance mechanisms. Researchers have explored liposomal treatment modalities for breast, lung, adenocarcinoma, ovarian, liver, fibrosarcoma, glioblastoma, and brain cancers. The tumor targeting drugs, for example, doxorubicin and paclitaxel, are delivered at the tumor microenvironment (TME) by passive and active transport, utilizing both the enhanced permeability and resistance (EPR) effect and cellular targets, for example, receptors, proteins, and organelles, in response to physical stimuli, for example, temperature, pH, fluid pressure, and nutrient and metabolic regulation. However, liposomes also face several limitations, including endosomal entrapment, heterogeneous targeting, suboptimal uptake by antigen-presenting cells (APCs), and storage instability. This review focuses on the advancements in liposomal nanocarriers for targeted cancer therapy. It emphasizes the evolution of their formulations to overcome potential limitations, making them highly tumor-specific and effective.
Abstract reproduced from the open-access article under the recorded cc by licence; © the authors. PMID 42017406 · DOI · PMC13111859
Key reviews and meta-analyses
The most cited review-type papers among PubMed’s best-match results for this heading, listed with bibliographic details only. Follow the links for the full text and access terms.
- Research article Meta-analysis of inter-patient pharmacokinetic variability of liposomal and non-liposomal anticancer agents [4]
- Research article Meta-analysis: randomized controlled trials of 4-L polyethylene glycol and sodium phosphate solution as bowel preparation for colonoscopy [5]
- Research article The clinical safety and efficacy of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and drug-eluting beads-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis [6]
- Research article Biomimetic and personalized nanovaccines in cancer immunotherapy: Design innovations, translational challenges, and future directions [7]
- Research article A review on tumor-targeting liposomes: Fabrication, mechanism and applications [8]
- Research article Environmental hazard assessment for polymeric and inorganic nanobiomaterials used in drug delivery [9]
References
- Dhull A, Shi M, Harvey ME, Page TM, Sharma R, Goody KJ, et al.. 2-Deoxyglucose Dendrimer-Enabled Niclosamide Delivery to FRβ-Expressing Macrophages Alleviates Endometriosis Progression and Associated Hyperalgesia. . 2026. PMID 42670248 · DOI · PMC13650810
- Du JR, Tu ML, Xia YX, Lin YQ, Yang R, Weng C, et al.. Nanovaccines with ferroptosis, necroptosis and STING-activation for synergistic immunotherapy. . 2026. PMID 42116166 · DOI · PMC13255514
- Zubair Butt M, Tariq Z, Imran M, Al-Eidan AA, Mahjabeen S, Fatima S, et al.. Liposomal nanotherapeutics for cancer treatment: Targeted delivery and immunotherapy. . 2026. PMID 42017406 · DOI · PMC13111859
- Schell RF, Sidone BJ, Caron WP, Walsh MD, White TF, Zamboni BA, et al.. Meta-analysis of inter-patient pharmacokinetic variability of liposomal and non-liposomal anticancer agents. Nanomedicine. 2014. PMID 23891988 · DOI · PMC3877184
- Juluri R, Eckert G, Imperiale TF. Meta-analysis: randomized controlled trials of 4-L polyethylene glycol and sodium phosphate solution as bowel preparation for colonoscopy. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2010. PMID 20384609 · DOI · PMC4825682
- Han T, Yang X, Zhang Y, Li G, Liu L, Chen T, et al.. The clinical safety and efficacy of conventional transcatheter arterial chemoembolization and drug-eluting beads-transcatheter arterial chemoembolization for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma: A meta-analysis. Biosci Trends. 2019. PMID 31611486 · DOI
- Xu S, Yang H, Minev B, Ma W. Biomimetic and personalized nanovaccines in cancer immunotherapy: Design innovations, translational challenges, and future directions. J Adv Res. 2026. PMID 41638631 · DOI · PMC13669596
- Basak S, Das TK, Ganguly S. A review on tumor-targeting liposomes: Fabrication, mechanism and applications. Biochem Pharmacol. 2026. PMID 42619005 · DOI
- Hauser M, Li G, Nowack B. Environmental hazard assessment for polymeric and inorganic nanobiomaterials used in drug delivery. J Nanobiotechnology. 2019. PMID 30992030 · DOI · PMC6466702
About this article
- Sources
- NLM Medical Subject Headings (definition, synonyms); NCBI PubMed (counts, identifiers); Europe PMC (open-access abstracts and citation counts).
- Verification
- Every reference was resolved against PubMed on 2026-10-31; title, year and DOI matched.
- Review state
- automated source verified; no human expert review has been recorded yet.
- Version
- 1, last updated 2026-10-29.
See how EvidenceLib is built. Spotted an error? Email support@evidencehelix.com.
Evidence strength
EvidenceHelix's computed view of the study designs behind this topic: how common meta-analyses, randomized trials and reviews are, how recent the literature is, and a plain-language reading. It describes the design mix of the literature. It is not a quality appraisal of any study, and it is not medical advice.