Nanomedicines as Cancer Therapeutics: Current Status

Abstract

As of 21st century, cancer is arguably the most complex and challenging disease known to mankind and an inevitable public health concern of this millennium. Nanotechnology, suitably amalgamated with cancer research, has ushered an era of highly personalized and safer medicines which can improve cancer diagnosis and therapy. A wide variety of nanomedicines are currently under investigation, including polymeric/non-polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, lipid- and micelle-based nanoparticles. The bases of these nanomedicines in reducing toxicity associated with cancer therapy are their ability to carry a large payload and multivalent-ligand targeting. This imparts specificity for targeting the tissues as well as bypass resistance mechanisms. The major hurdles on these future medicines are potential toxicity of nanoparticles, which imposes the need of extensive regulatory evaluation before nanomedicines could be utilized as cancer therapeutics. This review highlights nanopharmaceuticals that have been investigated in oncology for various applications (diagnosis, therapeutic delivery and theranostics). It also discusses the effects of nano-sized materials on tissues/organ functions, the possibility of overcoming multi-drug resistance by using nanomedicines and their current clinical status.

Aggregation Behavior of Polystyrene-Nanoparticles in Human Blood Serum and its Impact on the in vivo Distribution in Mice

“…Distribution and specific cellular targeting may allow clinical application e.g. in cancer medicine for the delivery of cytotoxic drugs, immune-modifiers or tumor-antigens [1]. When applied systemically by intravenous injection, many NPs are phagocytized by cells of the mononuclear phagocytic system (MPS) and subsequently remain in liver or spleen.…”

Nanomedicine concepts in the general medical curriculum: initiating a discussion

“…[19][20][21] In addition to first-generation systems, "second generation" and "third generation" nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems (designed to accomplish more deliberate, active targeting of cancerous cells) continue to be developed for clinical use. 4,11,12,18,[22][23][24][25][26][27] While the preponderance of current research and clinical applications in nanomedicine is in the area of oncology and enhanced therapies for malignant solid tumors, [25][26][27][28][29][30] a range of other efforts also are ongoing. These include, for example, investigational and commercially available nanomedicines for various infectious diseases, cardiac/vascular disorders, endocrine/exocrine disorders, and degenerative disorders; 12 sustained drug release in the treatment of glaucoma; 9,31 and assessments of "pressing clinical needs amenable to nano-enabled technology" such as intelligent nanobiomaterials for cell therapy to improve heart function, cochlear and retinal implants, skin regeneration, and antimicrobials.…”

“…Given the fact that nanomedicine -in its contemporary sense -very much was a nascent field at the time, this is quite understandable. However, with the extent of nanomedicine research now occurring, and with the range of nanomedical applications being developed and tested in various stages of clinical trials, [4][5][6]12,13,20,[25][26][27][28][40][41][42][43] it would be unwise for future editions of these documents (or similar publications by other medical education bodies elsewhere) not to give this due attention. Since nanomedicine distinctly is beginning to influence the way in which we think about future medical therapies and professional practice, 5 it now becomes incumbent on medical educators to begin giving consideration to the manner in which relevant principles and concepts might be incorporated into the general medical curriculum.…”

Strategy for chemotherapeutic delivery using a nanosized porous metal-organic framework with a central composite design

“…1 Conventional chemotherapeutic agents, in whatever novel ways they could work, 2,3 have not competently circumvented a major challenge in oncology, the drug resistance. In addition, most of these antineoplastic agents act by targeting tumor cells through a somewhat specific approach, 4 and are therefore compromised by a dose window and a toxicity profile. To achieve better tumor eradication, a treatment strategy for cancer, known as nanoparticle (NP) therapy, is now being developed using nanotechnology.…”