Purine and pyrimidine nucleoside analogs (NAs) are antimetabolites commonly used in cancer therapy. Administered as prodrugs, NAs permeate the mambrane using specialized transporters. Following phosphorylation, they interfere with multiple cellular pocessess inducing cytotoxicity. Toxic effects of NAs are dependent on metabolic conversion from a prodrug into the active form. For instance, an exceptionally high activity of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) in lymphocytes is correlated with a good therapeutic effect of fludarabine in leukemic cells. On the other hand, several studies have shown that nucleoside-transporter (NT)-deficientcells are highly resistant to NAs. Attempts to overcome the metabolic limitations of chemotherapeutics would result in the use of lower drug doses for effective therapy, reduce side effects, and ensure the independence of drug resistance mechanisms. To meet this need, several nanoparticles have been designed to deliver efficently NAs directly to cancer cells. Such vehicles include liposomes, albumins, and dendritic and linear polymers. Therapeutic agents encapsulated or conjugated to nanoparticles have improved pharmacokinetics, solubility, and stability. These factors improve the efficacy of commonly used drugs. Moreover, modification of nanoparticles with targeting molecules such as sugar moieties or folic acid ensures more specific delivery without affecting healthy tissues. Drug Dev Res 71:383-394, 2010.