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Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs

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A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2022) | Viewed by 26540

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Prof. Dr. Wei Huang

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State Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substance and Function of Natural Medicines, Department of Pharmaceutics, Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100050, China
Interests: nano drug delivery systems; nucleic acid delivery; controlled release systems; targeted drug delivery
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Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology is at the commanding height of strategic technology in the 21st century, among which nanoparticles are revolutionizing the field of drug delivery, especially regarding cancer, their therapeutic effects in practical applications though still being far from satisfactory on account of their poor water solubility and poor pharmacokinetics. Luckily, the booming nanocarriers have introduced bright prospects for gaining encouraging therapeutic outcomes, since they can be engineered to enhance the solubility and circulation time of drugs, as well as efficiently bringing drugs to cancer cells. Accordingly, a series of promising polymer nanoparticles are being developed for the delivery of anticancer drugs, such as PEG-PLA polymer micelles, PLGA nanoparticles, liposome, gold nanoparticles, etc. Additionally, advanced delivery systems have also been designed to deliver drugs specifically to the tumor site, based on their stimuli-responsive properties and cancer cell-specific markers. Nevertheless, the further exploration of identifying targeted molecules and designing nanocarriers is still worth continuing. Therefore, we would like to invite you to contribute both reviews and original articles highlighting recent progress in the development of polymer nanoparticles for the delivery of anticancer drugs, which will be published as part of a Special Issue entitled “Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs”. Main topics include, but are not limited to: polymer nanoparticles for chemotherapeutic drug delivery, nucleic acid delivery, chemotherapeutic drug and nucleic acid-based co-delivery, photosensitizer delivery, etc.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Wei Huang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

targeted nanoparticles
anticancer drug delivery
siRNA delivery
co-delivery system
stimuli-responsive
polymer nanoparticles
controlled release systems
solubilization

Related Special Issue

Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs, 3rd Edition in Pharmaceutics (1 article)

Published Papers (13 papers)

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15 pages, 1993 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Combined Photothermal Therapy and Lycium barbarum Polysaccharide for Topical Administration to Improve the Efficacy of Doxorubicin in the Treatment of Breast Cancer

by Lina Sun, Cuiling Zuo, Xinxin Liu, Yifei Guo, Xiangtao Wang, Zhengqi Dong and Meihua Han

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(12), 2677; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122677 - 01 Dec 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1652

Abstract

In order to improve the efficacy of doxorubicin in the treatment of breast cancer, we constructed a drug delivery system combined with local administration of Lycium barbarum polysaccharides (LBP) and photothermal-material polypyrrole nanoparticles (PPY NPs). In vitro cytotoxicity experiments showed that the inhibitory effect of DOX + LBP + PPY NPs on 4T1 cells under NIR (near infrared) laser was eight times that of DOX at the same concentration (64% vs. 8%). In vivo antitumor experiments showed that the tumor inhibition rate of LBP + DOX + PPY NPs + NIR reached 87.86%. The results of the H&E staining and biochemical assays showed that the systemic toxicity of LBP + DOX + PPY NPs + NIR group was reduced, and liver damage was significantly lower in the combined topical administration group (ALT 54 ± 14.44 vs. 28 ± 3.56; AST 158 ± 16.39 vs. 111 ± 20.85) (p < 0.05). The results of the Elisa assay showed that LBP + DOX + PPY NPs + NIR can enhance efficacy and reduce toxicity (IL-10, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IgA, ROS). In conclusion, LBP + DOX + PPY NPs combined with photothermal therapy can improve the therapeutic effect of DOX on breast cancer and reduce its toxic side effects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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16 pages, 4567 KiB

Open AccessArticle

CuS-¹³¹I-PEG Nanotheranostics-Induced “Multiple Mild-Hyperthermia” Strategy to Overcome Radio-Resistance in Lung Cancer Brachytherapy

by Yanna Cui, Hui Yan, Haoze Wang, Yongming Zhang, Meng Li, Kai Cui, Zeyu Xiao, Liu Liu and Wenhui Xie

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(12), 2669; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122669 - 30 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1319

Abstract

Brachytherapy is one mainstay treatment for lung cancer. However, a great challenge in brachytherapy is radio-resistance, which is caused by severe hypoxia in solid tumors. In this research, we have developed a PEGylated ¹³¹I-labeled CuS nanotheranostics (CuS-¹³¹I-PEG)-induced “multiple mild-hyperthermia” strategy to reverse hypoxia-associated radio-resistance. Specifically, after being injected with CuS-¹³¹I-PEG nanotheranostics, tumors were irradiated by NIR laser to mildly increase tumor temperature (39~40 °C). This mild hyperthermia can improve oxygen levels and reduce expression of hypoxia-induced factor-1α (HIF-1α) inside tumors, which brings about alleviation of tumor hypoxia and reversion of hypoxia-induced radio-resistance. During the entire treatment, tumors are treated by photothermal brachytherapy three times, and meanwhile mild hyperthermia stimulation is conducted before each treatment of photothermal brachytherapy, which is defined as a “multiple mild-hyperthermia” strategy. Based on this strategy, tumors have been completely inhibited. Overall, our research presents a simple and effective “multiple mild-hyperthermia” strategy for reversing radio-resistance of lung cancer, achieving the combined photothermal brachytherapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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13 pages, 2915 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hydrophilic Natural Polylysine as Drug Nanocarrier for Preparation of Helical Delivery System

by Bo Yu, Xiangtao Wang, Lijuan Ding, Meihua Han and Yifei Guo

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(11), 2512; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14112512 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1504

Abstract

Polypeptide materials have clear secondary structure and biodegradability, which can be further modified and functionalized, so that they can be employed as therapeutic agents in clinical applications. PEGylation of polylysine (PEG-PLL) is a kind of safe and effective nanocarrier that is utilized for gene and drug delivery. However, PEG-PLL needs to be produced through chemical synthesis, which is expensive and difficult to obtain. We hope to simplify the nanocarrier and use hydrophilic natural polylysine (PLL) to develop a high-efficacy delivery system. To evaluate the possibility of PLL as nanocarriers, methotrexate (MTX) is selected as a model drug and PEG-PLL is utilized as control nanocarriers. The experimental results showed that PLL is an ideal polypeptide to prepare MTX-loaded PLL nanoparticles (PLL/MTX NPs). Compared with PEG-PLL as nanocarriers, PLL/MTX NPs showed higher drug-loading content (58.9%) and smaller particle sizes (113.7 nm). Moreover, the shape of PLL/MTX NPs was a unique helical nanorod. The PLL/MTX NPs had good storage stability, media stability, and sustained release effect. Animal research demonstrated that PLL/MTX NPs could improve the anti-tumor activity of MTX, the antitumor efficacy is enhanced 1.9-fold and 1.2-fold compared with MTX injection and PEG-PLL/MTX NPs, respectively. To sum up, natural polymer PLL is an ideal nano drug delivery carrier which has potential clinical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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16 pages, 3776 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Self−Assembling Anchorage of Hyaluronic Acid on the Nanoparticle Surface Confers Superiority of Triple Negative Breast Cancer Treatment

by Yingpeng Li, Liang Liu, Hongtao Shang, Xuchen Feng, Ni Fan, Jingyu Wang, Yuqi Wu, Yatong Chen, Xinhong Chu, Min Zhong, Yujiao Sun, Hui Fu, Wei Huang and Yunfei Li

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(11), 2461; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14112461 - 15 Nov 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1380

Abstract

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) has been listed as one of the most fatal diseases, and no effective targeting treatment is clinically available. Although CD44-targeting hyaluronic acid (HA) has been utilized as targeting ligands in many studies, no facile ways have been developed through HA self-assembly at the nanoparticle surface. Herein, we reported N-isopropylacrylamide-grafted chitosan-based nanoparticles self-assembling with HA (HA-NPs) through electrostatic forces and loaded with curcumin (CUR). The HA-NPs displayed pH-responsive properties due to the chemical modification of chitosan, and the preparation process was optimized by central composite design–response surface methodology. HA anchorage confers the vehicle with tumor-targeting capability. HA-NPs displayed more robust effects of inhibiting TNBC primary tumor growth than free CUR and a plain counterpart but without increased systemic cytotoxicity. In addition, in vivo pharmacokinetic studies showed that HA-NPs significantly increased the in vivo residence time of free CUR and improved the bioavailability of CUR. These findings suggested that chitosan-based HA-NPs may provide a feasible and unique strategy to achieve CD44 targeting and enhance its efficacy in vivo for the treatment of advanced TNBC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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16 pages, 5482 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Poly(methacrylate citric acid) as a Dual Functional Carrier for Tumor Therapy

by Bo Yu, Yiping Shen, Xuejie Zhang, Lijuan Ding, Zheng Meng, Xiaotong Wang, Meihua Han, Yifei Guo and Xiangtao Wang

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(9), 1765; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14091765 - 24 Aug 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1575

Abstract

Owing to its pH-sensitive property and chelating Cu²⁺ effect, poly(methacrylate citric acid) (PCA) can be utilized as a dual functional nanocarrier to construct a nanodelivery system. Negatively charged carboxyl groups can interact with positively charged antineoplastic drugs through electrostatic interaction to form stable drug nanoparticles (NPs). Through drug experimental screening, doxorubicin (DOX) was selected as the model drug, PCA/DOX NPs with a diameter of 84 nm were prepared, and the drug-loading content was 68.3%. PCA/DOX NPs maintained good stability and a sustained release profile. Cell experiments presented that PCA/DOX NPs could inhibit effectively the growth of 4T1 cells; the IC₅₀ value was decreased by approximately 15-fold after incubation for 72 h. The cytotoxicity toward H9C2 was decreased significantly. Moreover, based on its ability to efficiently adsorb copper ions, PCA showed good vascular growth inhibition effect in vitro. Furthermore, animal experiments showed that PCA/DOX NPs presented stronger anticancer effects than DOX; the tumor inhibition rate was increased by 1.5-fold. Myocardial toxicity experiments also confirmed that PCA reduced the cardiotoxicity of DOX. In summary, PCA/DOX NPs show good antitumor efficacy and low toxicity, and have good potential for clinical application. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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15 pages, 2599 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hollow Mesoporous CeO₂-Based Nanoenzymes Fabrication for Effective Synergistic Eradication of Malignant Breast Cancer via Photothermal–Chemodynamic Therapy

by Huaxin Tan, Yongzhen Li, Jiaying Ma, Peiyuan Wang, Qiaoling Chen and Lidan Hu

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(8), 1717; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14081717 - 17 Aug 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2115

Abstract

CeO₂-based nanoenzymes present a very promising paradigm in cancerous therapy, as H₂O₂ can be effectively decomposed under the electron transmit between Ce³⁺ and Ce⁴⁺. However, the limitations of endogenous H₂O₂ and intracellular low Fenton-like reaction rate lead to single unsatisfied chemodynamic therapy (CDT) efficacy. Other therapeutic modalities combined with chemodynamic therapy are generally used to enhance the tumor eradiation efficacy. Here, we have synthesized a novel hollow pH-sensitive CeO₂ nanoenzyme after a cavity is loaded with indocyanine green (ICG), as well as with surface modification of tumor targeting peptides, Arg-Gly-Asp (denoted as HCeO₂@ICG-RGD), to successfully target tumor cells via α_vβ₃ recognition. Importantly, in comparison with single chemodynamic therapy, a large amount of reactive oxygen species in cytoplasm were induced by enhanced chemodynamic therapy with photothermal therapy (PTT). Furthermore, tumor cells were efficiently killed by a combination of photothermal and chemodynamic therapy, revealing that synergistic therapy was successfully constructed. This is mainly due to the precise delivery of ICG and release after HCeO₂ decomposition in cytoplasm, in which effective hyperthermia generation was found under 808 nm laser irradiation. Meanwhile, our HCeO₂@ICG-RGD can act as a fluorescent imaging contrast agent for an evaluation of tumor tissue targeting capability in vivo. Finally, we found that almost all tumors in HCeO₂@ICG-RGD+laser groups were completely eradicated in breast cancer bearing mice, further proving the effective synergistic effect in vivo. Therefore, our novel CeO₂-based PTT agents provide a proof-of-concept argumentation of tumor-precise multi-mode therapies in preclinical applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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22 pages, 5127 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Co-Delivery of Repurposing Itraconazole and VEGF siRNA by Composite Nanoparticulate System for Collaborative Anti-Angiogenesis and Anti-Tumor Efficacy against Breast Cancer

by Mingji Jin, Bowen Zeng, Yanhong Liu, Lili Jin, Yan Hou, Chao Liu, Wei Liu, Hao Wu, Liqing Chen, Zhonggao Gao and Wei Huang

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(7), 1369; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14071369 - 28 Jun 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1885

Abstract

Combinations of two different therapeutic modalities of VEGF inhibitors against angiogenesis can cooperatively impede breast cancer tumor growth and enhance therapeutic efficacy. Itraconazole (ITZ) is a conventional antifungal drug with high safety; however, it has been repurposed to be a multi target anti-angiogenesis agent for cancer therapy in recent years. In the present study, composite nanoparticles co-loaded with ITZ and VEGF siRNA were prepared in order to investigate their anti-angiogenesis efficacy and synergistic anticancer effect against breast cancer. The nanoparticles had a suitable particle size (117.9 ± 10.3 nm) and weak positive surface charge (6.69 ± 2.46 mV), as well as good stability and drug release profile in vitro. Moreover, the nanoparticles successfully escaped from endosomes and realized cell apoptosis and cell proliferation inhibition in vitro. In vitro and in vivo experiments showed that the nanoparticles could induce the silencing of VEGF-related expressions as well as anti-angiogenesis efficacy, and the co-loaded ITZ-VEGF siRNA NPs could inhibit tumor growth effectively with low toxicity and side effects. Taken together, the as-prepared delivery vehicles are a simple and safe nano-platform that improves the antitumor efficacy of VEGF siRNA and ITZ, which allows the repositioning of the generic drug ITZ as a great candidate for antitumor therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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14 pages, 5968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Breast Cancer Cell Membrane Camouflaged Lipid Nanoparticles for Tumor-Targeted NIR-II Phototheranostics

by Mengze Xu, Yu Yang and Zhen Yuan

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(7), 1367; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14071367 - 28 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2306

Abstract

Photoacoustic imaging and photothermal therapy that employ organic dye in the second near-infrared window (NIR-II) became an attractive theranostical strategy for eliminating solid tumors, in which IR1048 was previously reported to be a good candidate. However, the further biomedical application of IR1048 was blocked by its poor water-solubility and lack of tumor-targeting. To solve this problem, liposome camouflaged with 4T1 cell membrane fragments was employed to encapsulate IR1048 (thereafter called MLI), and its application for photoacoustic and thermo-imaging and photothermal therapy were explored in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that MLI exhibited spherical morphology around 92.55 ± 5.41 nm coated by monolayer adventitial fragments, and uniformly dispersed in PBS with high loading efficiency and encapsulation efficiency to IR1048. In addition, both free IR1048 and MLI presented strong absorption in NIR-II, and upon 1064 nm laser irradiation the MLI showed awesome photothermal performance that could rapidly elevate the temperature to 50.9 °C in 6 min. Simultaneously, phantom assay proved that MLI could dramatically enhance the photoacoustic amplitudes by a linear concentration-dependent way. Moreover, either flow cytometry or confocal analysis evidenced that MLI was the most uptaked by 4T1 cells among other melanoma B16 cells and Hek293 cells and coexist of IR1048 and 1064 nm laser irradiation were indispensable for the photothermal cytotoxicity of MLI that specifically killed 96.16% of 4T1 cells far outweigh the B16 cells while hardly toxic to the Hek293 normal cells. Furthermore, PA imaging figured out that 4 h post tail-vein injection of MLI was the best time to give 1064 nm irradiation to conduct the photothermal therapy when the average tumor-accumulation of MLI achieved the highest. In the NIR-II photothermal therapy, MLI could significantly inhibit the tumor growth and almost ablated the tumors with slight body weight variation and the highest average life span over the therapy episode and caused no damage to the normal organs. Hence, MLI could pave the way for further biomedical applications of IR-1048 by homologous tumor-targeting and dual-modal imaging directed NIR-II accurate photothermal therapy with high efficacy and fine biosafety. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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18 pages, 4774 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Evaluation of a PSMA-Targeted Nanosystem Co-Packaging Docetaxel and Androgen Receptor siRNA for Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer Treatment

by Yingying Zhang, Hongxia Duan, Heming Zhao, Lingling Qi, Yanhong Liu, Zheao Zhang, Chao Liu, Liqing Chen, Mingji Jin, Youyan Guan, Zhonggao Gao and Wei Huang

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(5), 964; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14050964 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1968

Abstract

Primary prostate cancer (PC) progresses to castration-resistant PC (CRPC) during androgen deprivation therapy (ADR) in early stages of prostate cancer. Thus, rather than blocking the androgen-related pathway further, docetaxel (DTX)-based therapy has become the most effective and standard first-line chemotherapy for CRPC. Although the therapy is successful in prolonging the survival of patients with CRPC, chemotherapy resistance develops due to the abnormal activation of the androgen receptor (AR) signaling pathway. Thus, to optimize DTX efficacy, continued maximum suppression of androgen levels and AR signaling is required. Here, we designed a prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-targeted nanosystem to carry both DTX and AR siRNA (Di-PP/AR-siRNA/DTX) for CRPC treatment. Specifically, DTX was encapsulated into the hydrophobic inner layer, and the AR siRNA was then condensed with the cationic PEI block in the hydrophilic outer layer of the PEI-PLGA polymeric micelles. The micelles were further coated with PSMA-targeted anionic polyethylene glycol-polyaspartic acid (Di-PEG-PLD). In vitro and in vivo results demonstrated that the resulting Di-PP/AR-siRNA/DTX exhibited prolonged blood circulation, selective targeting, and enhanced antitumor effects. Consequently, Di-PP/AR-siRNA/DTX holds great potential for efficient CRPC treatment by combining chemotherapy and siRNA silencing of androgen-related signaling pathways. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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13 pages, 8060 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hypoxia-Responsive Azobenzene-Linked Hyaluronate Dot Particles for Photodynamic Tumor Therapy

by Sohyeon Lee, Yoonyoung Kim and Eun Seong Lee

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(5), 928; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14050928 - 24 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2297

Abstract

In this study, we developed ultra-small hyaluronate dot particles that selectively release phototoxic drugs into a hypoxic tumor microenvironment. Here, the water-soluble hyaluronate dot (dHA) was covalently conjugated with 4,4′-azodianiline (Azo, as a hypoxia-sensitive linker) and Ce6 (as a photodynamic antitumor agent), producing dHA particles with cleavable Azo bond and Ce6 (dHA-Azo-Ce6). Importantly, the inactive Ce6 (self-quenched state) in the dHA-Azo-Ce6 particles was switched to the active Ce6 (dequenched state) via the Azo linker (–N=N–) cleavage in a hypoxic environment. In vitro studies using hypoxia-induced HeLa cells (treated with CoCl₂) revealed that the dHA-Azo-Ce6 particle enhanced photodynamic antitumor inhibition, suggesting its potential as an antitumor drug candidate in response to tumor hypoxia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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Review

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29 pages, 3035 KiB

Open AccessReview

Nanoparticle-Mediated Delivery of STAT3 Inhibitors in the Treatment of Lung Cancer

by Qiyi Feng and Kai Xiao

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(12), 2787; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14122787 - 13 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2067

Abstract

Lung cancer is a common malignancy worldwide, with high morbidity and mortality. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) is an important transcription factor that not only regulates different hallmarks of cancer, such as tumorigenesis, cell proliferation, and metastasis but also regulates the occurrence and maintenance of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Abnormal STAT3 activity has been found in a variety of cancers, including lung cancer, and its phosphorylation level is associated with a poor prognosis of lung cancer. Therefore, the STAT3 pathway may represent a promising therapeutic target for the treatment of lung cancer. To date, various types of STAT3 inhibitors, including natural compounds, small molecules, and gene-based therapies, have been developed through direct and indirect strategies, although most of them are still in the preclinical or early clinical stages. One of the main obstacles to the development of STAT3 inhibitors is the lack of an effective targeted delivery system to improve their bioavailability and tumor targetability, failing to fully demonstrate their anti-tumor effects. In this review, we will summarize the recent advances in STAT3 targeting strategies, as well as the applications of nanoparticle-mediated targeted delivery of STAT3 inhibitors in the treatment of lung cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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34 pages, 4051 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in the Application of Nanomaterials to the Treatment of Melanoma

by Zeqi Wang, Yu Yu, Chuqiao Wang, Jin Li and Yan Pang

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(10), 2090; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14102090 - 30 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2752

Abstract

Melanoma can be divided into cutaneous melanoma, uveal melanoma, mucosal melanoma, etc. It is a very aggressive tumor that is prone to metastasis. Patients with metastatic melanoma have a poor prognosis and shorter survival. Although current melanoma treatments have been dramatically improved, there are still many problems such as systemic toxicity and the off-target effects of drugs. The use of nanoparticles may overcome some inadequacies of current melanoma treatments. In this review, we summarize the limitations of current therapies for cutaneous melanoma, uveal melanoma, and mucosal melanoma, as well as the adjunct role of nanoparticles in different treatment modalities. We suggest that nanomaterials may have an effective intervention in melanoma treatment in the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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23 pages, 975 KiB

Open AccessReview

A Quality by Design Approach in Pharmaceutical Development of Non-Viral Vectors with a Focus on miRNA

by Ioana Toma, Alina Silvia Porfire, Lucia Ruxandra Tefas, Ioana Berindan-Neagoe and Ioan Tomuță

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(7), 1482; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/pharmaceutics14071482 - 16 Jul 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2162

Abstract

Cancer is the leading cause of death worldwide. Tumors consist of heterogeneous cell populations that have different biological properties. While conventional cancer therapy such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery does not target cancer cells specifically, gene therapy is attracting increasing attention as an alternative capable of overcoming these limitations. With the advent of gene therapy, there is increasing interest in developing non-viral vectors for genetic material delivery in cancer therapy. Nanosystems, both organic and inorganic, are the most common non-viral vectors used in gene therapy. The most used organic vectors are polymeric and lipid-based delivery systems. These nanostructures are designed to bind and protect the genetic material, leading to high efficiency, prolonged gene expression, and low toxicity. Quality by Design (QbD) is a step-by-step approach that investigates all the factors that may affect the quality of the final product, leading to efficient pharmaceutical development. This paper aims to provide a new perspective regarding the use of the QbD approach for improving the quality of non-viral vectors for genetic material delivery and their application in cancer therapy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymer Nanoparticles for the Delivery of Anticancer Drugs)

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