Co-Delivery Nanosystems for Cancer Treatment: A Review

Abstract

Massive data available on cancer therapy more than ever lead our mind to the general concept that there is no perfect treatment for cancer. Indeed, the biological complexity of this disease is too excessive to be treated by a single therapeutic approach. Current delivery systems containing a specific drug or gene have their particular opportunities and restrictions. It is worth noting that a considerable number of studies suggest that single- drug delivery systems result in insufficient suppression of cancer growth. Therefore, one of the main ideas of co-delivery system designing is to enhance the intended response or to achieve the synergistic/combined effect compared to the single drug strategy. This review focuses on various strategies for co-delivery of therapeutic agents in the treatment of cancer. The primary approaches within the script are categorized into co-delivery of conventional chemotherapeutics, gene-based molecules, and plant-derived materials. Each one is explained in examples with the recent researches. In the end, a brief summary is provided to conclude the gist of the review.

Stimulus-responsive liposomes for biomedical applications

“…Nanotechnology can indeed address several among the major issues that hamper therapeutic efficacy, limiting bench-to-clinic translation of new developed bioactive compounds [1,2]. In this context, the development of nanosystems for drug delivery is particularly burgeoning [3,4]. Appropriate nanovehicles can significantly enhance drug efficacy through an increased delivery to the molecular target and reduction of off-target effects.…”

Chloroquine: a brand-new scenario for an old drug

“…Drugs and genes of interest can be incorporated within a nano-scale carrier or absorbed onto the surface of a nano vehicle to be specifically delivered into the site of interest. However, the practical application of many delivery systems is hardened by the effective cellular uptake [11,12]. Endocytosis is the primary pathway for cellular entry and the dominant mechanism for uptake of the drug/gene-loaded nanoparticles.…”

Cyclodextrins-Peptides/Proteins Conjugates: Synthesis, Properties and Applications

“…One of novel way to treat cancer is through co-delivery systems, which include the loading of drugs and/or nucleic acids (genes) ( Figure 3 ). The most common systems are based on self-assembled nanoparticles, which are multifunctional and can contain different molecules simultaneously [ 33 , 34 ]. Ma and co-workers carried out the conjugation of the CD with poly(L-lysine) dendrons and examined the biological properties so as to evaluate potential applications in combined cancer treatments.…”