液晶胶束是自组装、非层状的介观纳米结构材料，作为药物载体引起了广泛的关注。其中一种液晶胶束亚型为立方胶束，其拥有三维结构，呈现出双连续的立方液晶图案。这些图案是通过不饱和单甘酯（如单油酸甘油酯或植物三醇等亲水脂类）的自组织形成，并在之后使用聚氧乙烯-聚氧丙烯醇（PO和EO的共聚物）来稳定。由于双连续结构和基于聚合物的稳定性，立方胶束已被证明具有较比脂质体更高的疏水药物包封效率，并表现出较高的稳定性。在过去的十年中，立方胶束因其在癌症治疗和成像中有效地递送治疗和造影剂并产生最小副作用的能力而受到了广泛的关注，成为一种安全有效的方法。基于这些优势，本综述详细阐述了液晶胶束的一般性质、组成和制备技术，同时解释了其药物装载和释放机制。此外，该综述还就液晶胶束在各种癌症治疗和成像中的应用进行了详细讨论，并列举了与立方胶束为基础的药物递送系统相关的专利。版权所有 © 2023. Elsevier Inc. 出版

Lyotropic liquid crystals are self-assembled, non-lamellar, and mesophase nanostructured materials that have garnered significant attention as drug carriers. Cubosomes, a subtype of lyotropic liquid crystalline nanoparticles, possess three-dimensional structures that display bicontinuous cubic liquid-crystalline patterns. These patterns are formed through the self-organization of unsaturated monoglycerides (amphphilic lipids such as glyceryl monooleate or phytantriol), followed by stabilization using steric polymers (poloxamers). Owing to their bicontinuous structure and steric polymer-based stabilization, cubosomes have been demonstrated to possess greater entrapment efficiency for hydrophobic drugs compared to liposomes, while also exhibiting high stability. In the past decade, there has been significant interest in cubosomes due to their ability to deliver therapeutic and contrast agents for cancer treatment and imaging with minimal side effects, establishing them as a safe and effective approach. Concerning these advantages, the present review elaborates on the general aspects, composition, and preparation techniques of cubosomes, followed by explanations of their mechanisms of drug loading and release patterns. Furthermore, the review provides meticulous discussions on the use of cubosomes in the treatment and imaging of various types of cancer, culminating in the enumeration of patents related to cubosome-based drug delivery systems.Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.