Polymeric Nanocarriers: A Transformation in Doxorubicin Therapies

Abstract

Doxorubicin, a member of the anthracycline family, is a common anticancer agent often used as a first line treatment for the wide spectrum of cancers. Doxorubicin-based chemotherapy, although effective, is associated with serious side effects, such as irreversible cardiotoxicity or nephrotoxicity. Those often life-threatening adverse risks, responsible for the elongation of the patients’ recuperation period and increasing medical expenses, have prompted the need for creating novel and safer drug delivery systems. Among many proposed concepts, polymeric nanocarriers are shown to be a promising approach, allowing for controlled and selective drug delivery, simultaneously enhancing its activity towards cancerous cells and reducing toxic effects on healthy tissues. This article is a chronological examination of the history of the work progress on polymeric nanostructures, designed as efficient doxorubicin nanocarriers, with the emphasis on the main achievements of 2010–2020. Numerous publications have been reviewed to provide an essential summation of the nanopolymer types and their essential properties, mechanisms towards efficient drug delivery, as well as active targeting stimuli-responsive strategies that are currently utilized in the doxorubicin transportation field.

Pharmacogenetics of Drug Metabolism: The Role of Gene Polymorphism in the Regulation of Doxorubicin Safety and Efficacy

“…The combined application of Dox with epigenetic drugs, either as mixed solutions or encapsulated agents in nanogels, was found to be more efficient than the drug alone [ 96 ]. The use of nanocarriers (nanoparticles (NPs)), including liposomes, polymers, electro-sprayed particles, and nanosuspensions, was suggested as a promising approach to minimize adverse side effects of Dox [ 19 , 20 , 102 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 ]. Several types of NPs were found to improve the pharmacokinetic characteristics of anti-cancer agents and provide better targeted delivery and controlled release into cancer cells [ 19 , 105 , 106 , 107 ].…”

“…Delivery of Dox by nanocarriers extended the drug plasma half-life and slowed its clearance without increases in gastrointestinal toxicity and cardiotoxicity [ 110 ]. Non-pegylated and pegylated liposomal Dox forms were approved for clinical treatment [ 20 , 105 , 106 , 107 , 108 , 109 ]. Application of nanotechnology may provide a solution for those patients with genetic polymorphism in CYP450 and/or MDR1 genes, although the degree of success with NP-loaded Dox/miRs remains to be assessed.…”

“…Among the prescribed regimens are cyclophosphamide and anthracycline drugs, taxanes, and platinum-based drugs. According to clinical guidelines, one of the components of BC chemotherapy regimens is doxorubicin (Dox), which has been the standard anti-BC treatment agent for decades [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. The pharmacokinetics of Dox (the processing of the drug by the organism) are very diverse and depend on the genetic profile of proteins responsible for metabolism, transport, and repair of the drug and its metabolites [ 21 ].…”

Stimuli-Responsive Polymeric Nanoplatforms for Cancer Therapy

“…CNTs have thermal, mechanical and electrical properties related to their structure, stability, ease for modification and morphology (Kumar et al, 2017), thus having a potential application in Raman and photoacoustic imaging and drug delivery (Wong et al, 2013). Polymeric nanomaterials have been widely used as carriers of drugs and bioimaging agents because of their excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and structural versatility (Luk and Zhang, 2014;Butowska et al, 2021). Polymers could simultaneously self-assemble into polymeric nanoparticles with encapsulating therapeutic drugs or imaging agents, thus enabling multiple functions in one nanosystem to meet the theranostic requirements.…”

One-Pot Synthesis of Amphiphilic Biopolymers from Oxidized Alginate and Self-Assembly as a Carrier for Sustained Release of Hydrophobic Drugs

“…Polymer nanocarriers made from naturally occurring and biodegradable polymers have attracted much attention, especially in various drug delivery systems, since they offer a promising means by which to enhance the therapeutic values of drugs by improving their bioavailability, solubility and retention time, as well as benefitting patients due to lower cost and reduced toxicity [1][2][3][4][5]. Through great efforts from researchers, various polymer nanocarriers are currently being developed with the aim of improving drug delivery, especially of hydrophobic drugs including liposome, polymeric nanoparticles, selfassembly micelles, polymersomes, polyelectrolyte complexes, polymer-drug conjugates, dendrimers and others [6][7][8][9].…”