Recent Advances in Stimuli-Responsive Doxorubicin Delivery Systems for Liver Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Doxorubicin (DOX) is one of the most commonly used drugs in liver cancer. Unfortunately, the traditional chemotherapy with DOX presents many limitations, such as a systematic release of DOX, affecting both tumor tissue and healthy tissue, leading to the apparition of many side effects, multidrug resistance (MDR), and poor water solubility. Furthermore, drug delivery systems’ responsiveness has been intensively studied according to the influence of different internal and external stimuli on the efficiency of therapeutic drugs. In this review, we discuss both internal stimuli-responsive drug-delivery systems, such as redox, pH and temperature variation, and external stimuli-responsive drug-delivery systems, such as the application of magnetic, photo-thermal, and electrical stimuli, for the controlled release of Doxorubicin in liver cancer therapy, along with the future perspectives of these smart delivery systems in liver cancer therapy.

Polymeric Membranes for Biomedical Applications

“…The magnetic-responsive membranes are usually filled with magnetic-active nanoparticles of metals, metal oxides, or ferromagnetic materials which under the action of electromagnetic radiation can release the active substance in a targeted manner and enhance drug accumulation at the sites [ 167 , 168 , 169 ]. Photo-responsive membranes are able to release drugs using light sources, such as ultraviolet (UV), visible, and near-infrared (NIR) light [ 34 ]. The permeability of the photo-responsive membrane is influenced by switching irradiation between ultraviolet light (UV) and green light (Vis) [ 170 ].…”

“…Further, the application of polymeric membranes in tissue engineering has been highly studied due to their biofunctionality, good mechanical properties and the ability of a possible reparation and regeneration of injured tissues/organs [ 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 ]. Another application of polymeric membranes in the biomedical field is represented by the developing drug delivery system based on membranes [ 34 ] or different separation interest molecules such as antibiotics [ 35 , 36 , 37 ] or proteins [ 38 ]. The release of the drug is achieved by the diffusion of the active substance through the polymeric membrane so that the drug release could be controlled and targeted [ 39 , 40 , 41 ].…”

Smart nanoparticles and microbeads for interventional embolization therapy of liver cancer: state of the art

“…These include thermo-sensitive hydrogels, which are free-flowing liquids with a lower critical solution and can be transformed into a gel at physiological temperatures in vivo [ 26 ]. Additionally, stimulus response nanoparticles can respond to the high acidity [ 27 ], and the presence of reactive oxygen species and reducing substances that characterize the tumor microenvironment (TME) undergo a transformation of phase state or aggregation state to achieve vascular resistance [ 28 ].…”

Nylon-6-Coated Doxorubicin-Loaded Magnetic Nanoparticles and Nanocapsules for Cancer Treatment

“…However, cancer treatment drugs have numerous side effects that arise from non-specific delivery and subsequent strong damage to healthy organs and cells. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a widely used anthracycline antibiotic applied in many types of cancers [2][3][4][5][6]. The mechanism of DOX activity includes DNA intercalation and strand disruption, topoisomerase II inhibition, the formation of iron or copper metal complexes, and reactive oxygen species formation [2].…”