Table 2.

Examples of lipid delivery systems recommended for the treatment of non-melanoma skin cancers, their lipid composition, loaded anti-cancer drug, associated treatment, and in vitro/in vivo results.

Lipid Delivery System	Lipid composition	Anti-cancer Drug	Associated Treatment	In vitro and/or in vivo results	Reference
Liposomes	Hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine	Curcumin	Photodynamic therapy	Decreased cytotoxicity of phototoxic agents loaded in liposomes toward normal skin cells	[206]
AS1411-aptamer conjugated liposomes	Egg Yolk Phosphatidylcholine and cholesterol	5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)	-	Semi-solid hydrogel based on sodium alginate and hyaluronic acid containing 5-FU-loaded AS1411-aptamer conjugated liposomes increased drug permeability in comparison to free liposomes, with higher anti-tumor efficiency and lower irritation potential on the skin	[207]
PEGylated solid lipid nanoparticles	Tefose 1500	Curcumin	Photodynamic therapy	Skin accumulation of drug in vivo was twice when delivered by SLN in comparison to free suspension; cytotoxicity in A431 cells increased with the loading and with irradiation	[208]
Lipid nanoparticles dispersed in sodium carboxy methylcellulose hydrogel	Stearic acid and lecithin	5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)	-	Mice-bearing Ehrlich's ascites carcinoma treated with 5-FU-loaded SLN exhibited reduced inflammatory reactions, reduced keratosis, and reduced symptoms of angiogenesis when compared to mice with non-loaded 5-FU.	[209]
Lipid nanoparticles dispersed in a cream	Glycery monostearate or cetyl alcohol, and lecithin	Sesamol	-	In vitro antiproliferative and DNA fragmentation assays pm HL 60 cell lines confirmed sesamol-induced apoptosis. Significant retention of sesamol in the skin with minimal flux across skin when administered in cream-based SLN both in vitro and in vivo. In vivo anticancer studies on TPA†-induced and benzopyrene-initiated tumour production (ROS mediated) in mouse epidermis showed the histological normalization of skin cancers post their induction.	[210]
Cationic lipid nanoparticles	Stearic acid and monoolein	Doxorubicin (DOX)	Iontophoresis	Loading DOX increased drug in the lipid matrix of the stratum corneum. The association with iontophoresis created DOX reservoirs in the follicles of the skin. Nude BALB/c mice-bearing squamous cell carcinoma treated with DOX-SLN and iontophoresis was effective in inhibiting tumor cell survival and tumor growth, with increased keratinization and cell death.	[211]
Nanostructured lipid carriers	Sorbitan monooleate; cupuaçu butter	Imiquimod and copaiba oil	-	Imiquimod-loaded NLC did not show any changes in healthy skin cells (keratinocytes, HaCaT); in vitro skin permeation/penetration using pig skin resulted in increased drug retention in the skin layers.	[201]

^†TPA, 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate.