Effectiveness of drug-loaded poly(ethylene glycol) and poly(lactic-co-glycolic-acid) nanoparticles in the in vitro treatment of breast cancer: a systematic review
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer treatment remains a major challenge to modern medicine and has driven the need for nanotechnology-based strategies to improve drug delivery and overcome chemoresistance. Poly(ethylene glycol) and poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PEG-PLGA) nanoparticles (NPs) are a type of FDA-approved biodegradable copolymer (lactic + glycolic acids) that degrades into non-toxic metabolites (lactic acid and glycolic acid); it has emerged as a promising drug carrier owing to its biocompatibility, sustained release properties, and ability to enhance the cellular uptake of chemotherapeutic agents. This systematic review examines the efficacies of PEG-PLGA nanoparticles loaded with antineoplastic drugs on in vitro models of breast cancer cell lines.
Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search of the Web of Science, Embase, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases to identify experimental studies published between 2014 and August 2025 that evaluated PEG-PLGA formulations applied to breast cancer cell lines. The methodological quality of each study was appraised using the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) criteria.
Results: Thirteen studies were chosen based on our inclusion criteria. Here, the PEG-PLGA nanoparticles were predominantly spherical (30-210 nm) and exhibited controlled release kinetics. Compared with free drugs, the nanoformulations significantly reduced cell viability, increased apoptosis, and induced cell-cycle…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a systematic review, done in cell cultures (in vitro), not in people. Its evidence level is 5 of 5 (Very low · case / narrative / animal / in vitro / in silico). Case reports, narrative reviews, and animal, cell or computer-model studies give the weakest evidence for human health.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Metformin as an adjuvant in breast cancer treatment
- Metformin Lysosomal Targeting: A Novel Aspect to Be Investigated for Metformin Repurposing in Neurodegenerative Diseases?
- Aberrant HSF1 signaling activation underlies metformin amelioration of myocardial infarction in mice
- Metformin induces ZFP36 by mTORC1 inhibition in cervical cancer-derived cell lines
- Protein Interaction Network for Identifying Vascular Response of Metformin (Oral Antidiabetic)
- Preventing Long COVID With Metformin
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.