scholarly journals Advances in Bio-Based Polymers for Colorectal Cancer Treatment: Hydrogels and Nanoplatforms

Gels ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 6
Author(s):  
Anna Maspes ◽  
Fabio Pizzetti ◽  
Arianna Rossetti ◽  
Pooyan Makvandi ◽  
Giovanni Sitia ◽  
...  

Adenocarcinoma of the colon is the most common malignant neoplasia of the gastrointestinal tract and is a major contributor to mortality worldwide. Invasiveness and metastatic behavior are typical of malignant tumors and, because of its portal drainage, the liver is the closest capillary bed available in this case, hence the common site of metastatic dissemination. Current therapies forecast total resection of primary tumor when possible and partial liver resection at advanced stages, along with systemic intravenous therapies consisting of chemotherapeutic agents such as 5-fluorouracil. These cures are definitely not exempt from drawbacks and heavy side effects. Biocompatible polymeric networks, both in colloids and bulk forms, able to absorb large quantities of water and load a variety of molecules-belong to the class of innovative drug delivery systems, thus suitable for the purpose and tunable on each patient can represent a promising alternative. Indeed, the implantation of polymeric scaffolds easy to synthesize can substitute chemotherapy and combination therapies scheduling, shortening side effects. Moreover, they do not require a surgical removal thanks to spontaneous degradation and guarantees an extended and regional cargo release, maintaining high drug concentrations. In this review, we focus our attention on the key role of polymeric networks as drug delivery systems potentially able to counteract this dramatic disease.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yubin Huang ◽  
Hongtong Lu ◽  
Shasha He ◽  
Qingfei Zhang ◽  
Xiaoyuan Li ◽  
...  

The clinical application of conventional chemotherapeutic agents, represented by cisplatin, is limited by severe side effects. So, it is essential to explore more safer and controlled drug delivery systems for...


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57
Author(s):  
O. V. Trineeva ◽  
A. J. Halahakoon ◽  
A. I. Slivkin

Introduction. Drug delivery systems are defined as systems that deliver the optimal amount of a drug to a target target, increase the effectiveness of treatment, and reduce adverse effects. Regulation of the rate of release of drugs and bringing to specific tissues where active ingredients are needed are the main objectives of drug delivery systems. The development of systems for targeted, organ-specific and controlled delivery of medicinal, prophylactic and diagnostic agents is currently a relevant area of research for pharmacy and medicine. Of particular interest is the actual problem of increasing the frequency of manifestations of side effects of drugs. The side effect of drugs, their low efficiency is often explained by the inaccessibility of drugs directly to the target. Text. Currently, targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and drug delivery systems has completely changed the tactics and approaches in the drug treatment of cancer, allowing to reduce the side effects of the drug and generally increase the effectiveness of the course of treatment. This paper summarizes and systematizes information about targeted systems for drug delivery of antitumor activity, described in the scientific literature and used in pharmacy and medicine. Most of the methods for obtaining cellular forms of toxic drugs discussed in this review are still at the development stage, and some methods are gradually finding practical application abroad in medicine and other fields. Vincristine (VCR) and vinblastine (VBL) are the most widely used and effective drugs in chemotherapeutic practice. Despite their effectiveness against various oncological diseases, there are a number of harmful side effects that limit the widespread use of these drugs. Conclusion. There is the possibility of using cellular carriers as a VCR and VBL delivery system. In scientific publications, there is still no data on the use of cellular carriers for encapsulating VCR and VBL. Therefore, relevant studies are devoted to the possibility of using cellular carriers to reduce side effects, improve efficiency, and develop dosage forms for the delivery of VCR and VBL to pathological foci. This topic is currently being actively developed by members of the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology, Pharmaceutical Faculty, Voronezh State University.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 1084-1098
Author(s):  
Fengqian Chen ◽  
Yunzhen Shi ◽  
Jinming Zhang ◽  
Qi Liu

This review summarizes the epigenetic mechanisms of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) methylation, histone modifications in cancer and the epigenetic modifications in cancer therapy. Due to their undesired side effects, the use of epigenetic drugs as chemo-drugs in cancer therapies is limited. The drug delivery system opens a door for minimizing these side effects and achieving greater therapeutic benefits. The limitations of current epigenetic therapies in clinical cancer treatment and the advantages of using drug delivery systems for epigenetic agents are also discussed. Combining drug delivery systems with epigenetic therapy is a promising approach to reaching a high therapeutic index and minimizing the side effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Zielińska ◽  
Piotr Eder ◽  
Lucas Rannier ◽  
Juliana C. Cardoso ◽  
Patrícia Severino ◽  
...  

Abstract: Hydrogels for the modified-release drug delivery systems is a continuously growing area of interest for the pharmaceutical industry. According to the global market, the use of polymers in this area is projected to reach $31.4 million by 2027. This review discusses the recent advances and perspectives of hydrogel in drug delivery systems for oral, parenteral, nasal, topical, and ophthalmic. The search strategy did in January 2021, and it conducted an extensive database to identify studies published from January 2010 to December 2020.We described the main characteristic of the polymers to obtain an ideal hydrogel for a specific route of administration and the formulations that was a highlight in the literature. It concluded that the hydrogels are a set useful to decrease the number of doses, side effects, promote adhesion of patient and enhances the bioavailability of the drugs improving the safety and efficacy of the treatment.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (32) ◽  
pp. 6599-6604 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. T. Cook ◽  
S. A. Schmidt ◽  
E. Lee ◽  
W. Samprasit ◽  
P. Opanasopit ◽  
...  

Thiol-bearing microgels have been synthesised from copolymerisation of 2-(acetylthio)ethylacrylate and 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, and subsequent deprotection using sodium thiomethoxide.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1139 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey T. Borenstein

AbstractThe emergence of BioMEMS fabrication technologies such as soft lithography, micromolding and assembly of 3D structures, and biodegradable microfluidics, are already making significant contributions to the field of regenerative medicine. Over the past decade, BioMEMS have evolved from early silicon laboratory devices to polymer-based structures and even biodegradable constructs suitable for a range of ex vivo and in vivo applications. These systems are still in the early stages of development, but the long-term potential of the technology promises to enable breakthroughs in health care challenges ranging from the systemic toxicity of drugs to the organ shortage. Ex vivo systems for organ assist applications are emerging for the liver, kidney and lung, and the precision and scalability of BioMEMS fabrication techniques offer the promise of dramatic improvements in device performance and patient outcomes.Ultimately, the greatest benefit from BioMEMS technologies will be realized in applications for implantable devices and systems. Principal advantages include the extreme levels of achievable miniaturization, integration of multiple functions such as delivery, sensing and closed loop control, and the ability of precision microscale and nanoscale features to reproduce the cellular microenvironment to sustain long-term functionality of engineered tissues. Drug delivery systems based on BioMEMS technologies are enabling local, programmable control over drug concentrations and pharmacokinetics for a broad spectrum of conditions and target organs. BioMEMS fabrication methods are also being applied to the development of engineered tissues for applications such as wound healing, microvascular networks and bioartificial organs. Here we review recent progress in BioMEMS-based drug delivery systems, engineered tissue constructs and organ assist devices for a range of ex vivo and in vivo applications in regenerative medicine.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohamed Haider ◽  
Shifaa M. Abdin ◽  
Leena Kamal ◽  
Gorka Orive

The efficacy of current standard chemotherapy is suboptimal due to the poor solubility and short half-lives of chemotherapeutic agents, as well as their high toxicity and lack of specificity which may result in severe side effects, noncompliance and patient inconvenience. The application of nanotechnology has revolutionized the pharmaceutical industry and attracted increasing attention as a significant means for optimizing the delivery of chemotherapeutic agents and enhancing their efficiency and safety profiles. Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are lipid-based formulations that have been broadly studied as drug delivery systems. They have a solid matrix at room temperature and are considered superior to many other traditional lipid-based nanocarriers such as nanoemulsions, liposomes and solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) due to their enhanced physical stability, improved drug loading capacity, and biocompatibility. This review focuses on the latest advances in the use of NLCs as drug delivery systems and their preparation and characterization techniques with special emphasis on their applications as delivery systems for chemotherapeutic agents and different strategies for their use in tumor targeting.


2017 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 1457-1468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gamze Varan ◽  
Juan M Benito ◽  
Carmen Ortiz Mellet ◽  
Erem Bilensoy

Background: Paclitaxel is a potent anticancer drug that is effective against a wide spectrum of cancers. To overcome its bioavailability problems arising from very poor aqueous solubility and tendency to recrystallize upon dilution, paclitaxel is commercially formulated with co-solvents such as Cremophor EL® that are known to cause serious side effects during chemotherapy. Amphiphilic cyclodextrins are favored oligosaccharides as drug delivery systems for anticancer drugs, having the ability to spontaneously form nanoparticles without surfactant or co-solvents. In the past few years, polycationic, amphiphilic cyclodextrins were introduced as effective agents for gene delivery in the form of nanoplexes. In this study, the potential of polycationic, amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticles were evaluated in comparison to non-ionic amphiphilic cyclodextrins and core–shell type cyclodextrin nanoparticles for paclitaxel delivery to breast tumors. Pre-formulation studies were used as a basis for selecting the suitable organic solvent and surfactant concentration for the novel polycationic cyclodextrin nanoparticles. The nanoparticles were then extensively characterized with particle size distribution, polydispersity index, zeta potential, drug loading capacity, in vitro release profiles and cytotoxicity studies. Results: Paclitaxel-loaded cyclodextrin nanoparticles were obtained in the diameter range of 80−125 nm (depending on the nature of the cyclodextrin derivative) where the smallest diameter nanoparticles were obtained with polycationic (PC) βCDC6. A strong positive charge also helped to increase the loading capacity of the nanoparticles with paclitaxel up to 60%. Interestingly, cyclodextrin nanoparticles were able to stabilize paclitaxel in aqueous solution for 30 days. All blank cyclodextrin nanoparticles were demonstrated to be non-cytotoxic against L929 mouse fibroblast cell line. In addition, paclitaxel-loaded nanoparticles have a significant anticancer effect against MCF-7 human breast cancer cell line as compared with a paclitaxel solution in DMSO. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, both amphiphilic cyclodextrin derivatives provide suitable nanometer-sized drug delivery systems for safe and efficient intravenous paclitaxel delivery for chemotherapy. In the light of these studies, it can be said that amphiphilic cyclodextrin nanoparticles of different surface charge can be considered as a promising alternative for self-assembled nanometer-sized drug carrier systems for safe and efficient chemotherapy.


Pharmaceutics ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (10) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hakkarainen ◽  
Kõrkjas ◽  
Laidmäe ◽  
Lust ◽  
Semjonov ◽  
...  

We investigated nozzleless ultrasound-enhanced electrospinning (USES) as means to generate nanofibrous drug delivery systems (DDSs) for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Traditional electrospinning (TES) equipped with a conventional spinneret was used as a reference method. High-molecular polyethylene oxide (PEO) and chitosan were used as carrier polymers and theophylline anhydrate as a water-soluble model drug. The nanofibers were electrospun with the diluted mixture (7:3) of aqueous acetic acid (90% v/v) and formic acid solution (90% v/v) (with a total solid content of 3% w/v). The fiber diameter and morphology of the nanofibrous DDSs were modulated by varying ultrasonic parameters in the USES process (i.e., frequency, pulse repetition frequency and cycles per pulse). We found that the USES technology produced nanofibers with higher fiber diameter (402 ± 127 nm) than TES (77 ± 21 nm). An increase of a burst count in USES increased the fiber diameter (555 ± 265 nm) and the variation in fiber size. The slight-to-moderate changes in a solid state (crystallinity) were detected when compared the nanofibers generated by TES and USES. In conclusion, USES provides a promising alternative for aqueous-based fabrication of nanofibrous DDSs for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications.


Polymers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1742 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olga Cegielska ◽  
Paweł Sajkiewicz

Each year, new glaucoma drug delivery systems are developed. Due to the chronic nature of the disease, it requires the inconvenient daily administration of medications. As a result of their elution from the eye surface and penetration to the bloodstream through undesired permeation routes, the bioavailability of active compounds is low, and systemic side effects occur. Despite numerous publications on glaucoma drug carriers of controlled drug release kinetics, only part of them consider drug permeation routes and, thus, carriers’ location, as an important factor affecting drug delivery. In this paper, we try to demonstrate the importance of the delivery proximal to glaucoma drug targets. The targeted delivery can significantly improve drug bioavailability, reduce side effects, and increase patients’ compliance compared to both commercial and scientifically developed formulations that can spread over the eye surface or stay in contact with conjunctival sac. We present a selection of glaucoma drug carriers intended to be placed on cornea or injected into the aqueous humor and that have been made by advanced materials using hi-tech forming methods, allowing for effective and convenient sustained antiglaucoma drug delivery.


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