Breast Cancer Progression and Its Theranostic Management via Folate-Directed Targeting of Glycoprotein Receptor

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore

Breast cancer remains among the most prevalent and complex malignancies worldwide, motivating targeted therapeutic strategies that improve precision beyond passive uptake. This review analyzes folate-receptor biology and the use of folate-conjugated nanocarriers to deliver drugs directly to cancer cells, leveraging four folate receptor isoforms supported by laboratory and animal findings. It surveys chemical methods for attaching folic acid and enhancing delivery, and evaluates combined regimens pairing chemotherapy with photodynamic therapies and advanced theranostic designs, emphasizing the need for comprehensive translational testing.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages42

Reading Time1 h 46 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Keywords

1. Introduction

Breast cancer burden and risk factors

Stages and mechanistic progression

Review Breast Cancer Progression and Its Theranostic Management via Folate-Directed Targeting of Glycoprotein Receptor Koyeli Girigoswami 1 and Agnishwar Girigoswami 2, * Academic Editors: Jean-Marie Exbrayat and Ravi P. Sahu Received: 15 October 2025 Revised: 8 November 2025 Accepted: 18 November 2025 Published: 19 November 2025 Citation: Girigoswami, K.; Girigoswami, A. Breast Cancer Progression and Its Theranostic Management via Folate-Directed Targeting of Glycoprotein Receptor. Med. Sci. 2025, 13, 275. [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi.org/10.3390/medsci13040275](doi.org/10.3390/medsci13040275) [Copyright:](Copyright:) © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://creativecommons.org/](https://creativecommons.org/)[ ](https://creativecommons.org/)[licenses/by/4.0/](licenses/by/4.0/)) . 1 Medical Bionanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Centre for Global Health Research, Saveetha Medical College, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Chennai 602105, TN, India 2 Medical Bionanotechnology, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Chettinad Hospital & Research Institute (CHRI), Chettinad Academy of Research and Education (CARE), Kelambakkam, Chennai 603103, TN, India * Correspondence: [agnishwarg@gmail.com or dragnishwar@care.edu.in](agnishwarg@gmail.com or dragnishwar@care.edu.in); Tel.: +91-9445268615 Abstract Breast cancer continues to rank among the most common and complex cancers worldwide. A promising approach is the direct delivery of drugs to cancer cells via specially designed nanocarriers that can target specific receptors on their surface, like folate receptors. When combined with other therapies, these functionalized nanocarriers can increase the effectiveness of treatment by more precisely targeting cancer cells than traditional methods that rely on passive targeting. Folate receptors are glycoproteins with four isoforms, for which both laboratory and animal models have shown encouraging results in research. The numerous chemical methods for attaching folic acid (FA) and enhancing drug delivery in folic acid-modified nanocarriers for breast cancer are examined in this review. Additionally, it examines how these smart carriers combine chemotherapy with alternative therapies like photodynamic therapies and state-of-the-art theranostics. The review highlights how important it is to carry out comprehensive testing to ensure that these innovations can successfully move from the lab to real clinical settings, even though the potential is evident. Keywords: passive diffusion; active targeting; drug delivery; therapy; overexpressed receptors; health care 1. Introduction With multiple subtypes and unique occurrence patterns, breast cancer is a complicated and diverse disease. It accounts for roughly one-third of all female cancer cases globally and accounts for 15% of female cancer-related deaths [1] . Breast cancer develops and spreads around the world due to a combination of lifestyle, environmental, and genetic factors. Wealthier nations typically have lower death rates because of easier access to screening and treatment, but they also tend to see more cases, probably because of better detection. On the other hand, the number of cases is increasing in developing nations, primarily as a result of population growth and changes toward more Westernized lifestyles [2–4] . Globally, the leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) is cardiovascular disease, followed by cancer. It is interesting to note that although high SDI (Sustainable Development Index) countries account for roughly half of all cancer cases, they bear only 25% of the total burden of cancer-related illnesses [5] . This demonstrates how cancer has a disproportionately high impact in nations with lo

FAQs

What targeted strategy does the review focus on for breast cancer treatment?

It focuses on directing drug delivery to breast cancer cells by using nanocarriers designed to target receptors on the cell surface, especially folate receptors.

Why are folate receptors important in this theranostic approach?

Folate receptors are glycoproteins with four isoforms, and both laboratory and animal models have shown encouraging results, supporting their use for targeted delivery.

What topics does the review examine regarding folate-modified nanocarriers?

It examines chemical methods for attaching folic acid and improving drug delivery, and it discusses how functional carriers can combine chemotherapy with therapies such as photodynamic therapy and broader theranostic concepts.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by kopisore