:
Currently, despite many active compounds have been introduced to the treatment, cancer remains one of the most vital
causes of mortality and reduced quality of life. Conventional cancer treatments may have undesirable consequences due to the
continuously differentiating, dynamic and heterogeneous nature of cancer. Recent advances in the field of cancer treatment have
promoted the development of several novel nanoformulations. Among them, the lipid coated nanosized drug delivery systems
have gained an increasing attention by the researchers in this field owing to the attractive properties such as high stability and
biocompatibility, prolonged circulation time, high drug loading capacity and superior in vivo efficacy. They possess the
advantages of both the liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles which makes them a chosen one in the field of drug delivery and
targeting. Core-shell type lipid-coated nanoparticle systems, which provide the most prominent advantages of both liposomes
such as biocompatibility and polymeric/inorganic nanoparticles such as mechanic properties, offer a new approach to cancer
treatment. This review discusses design and production procedures used to prepare lipid-coated nanoparticle drug delivery
systems, their advantages and multifunctional role in cancer therapy and diagnosis, as well as the applications they have been
used in.