Silk Particles as Carriers of Therapeutic Molecules for Cancer Treatment

Although progress is observed in cancer treatment, this disease continues to be the second leading cause of death worldwide. The current understanding of cancer indicates that treating cancer should not be limited to killing cancer cells alone, but that the target is the complex tumor microenvironment (TME). The application of nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems (DDS) can not only target cancer cells and TME, but also simultaneously resolve the severe side effects of various cancer treatment approaches, leading to more effective, precise, and less invasive therapy. Nanoparticles based on proteins derived from silkworms’ cocoons (like silk fibroin and sericins) and silk proteins from spiders (spidroins) are intensively explored not only in the oncology field. This natural-derived material offer biocompatibility, biodegradability, and simplicity of preparation methods. The protein-based material can be tailored for size, stability, drug loading/release kinetics, and functionalized with targeting ligands. This review summarizes the current status of drug delivery systems’ development based on proteins derived from silk fibroin, sericins, and spidroins, which application is focused on systemic cancer treatment. The nanoparticles that deliver chemotherapeutics, nucleic acid-based therapeutics, natural-derived agents, therapeutic proteins or peptides, inorganic compounds, as well as photosensitive molecules, are introduced.

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Diatoms Green Nanotechnology for Biosilica-Based Drug Delivery Systems

Pharmaceutics ◽

10.3390/pharmaceutics10040242 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 242 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Monica Terracciano ◽

Luca De Stefano ◽

Ilaria Rea

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Low Cost ◽

Release Kinetics ◽

Drug Carrier ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Three Dimensional ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Diatom Frustule ◽

Artificial Environment

Diatom microalgae are the most outstanding natural source of porous silica. The diatom cell is enclosed in a three-dimensional (3-D) ordered nanopatterned silica cell wall, called frustule. The unique properties of the diatom frustule, including high specific surface area, thermal stability, biocompatibility, and tailorable surface chemistry, make diatoms really promising for biomedical applications. Moreover, they are easy to cultivate in an artificial environment and there is a large availability of diatom frustules as fossil material (diatomite) in several areas of the world. For all these reasons, diatoms are an intriguing alternative to synthetic materials for the development of low-cost drug delivery systems. This review article focuses on the possible use of diatom-derived silica as drug carrier systems. The functionalization strategies of diatom micro/nanoparticles for improving their biophysical properties, such as cellular internalization and drug loading/release kinetics, are described. In addition, the realization of hybrid diatom-based devices with advanced properties for theranostics and targeted or augmented drug delivery applications is also discussed.

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Resealed Erythrocytes as Drug Carriers and Its Therapeutic Applications

Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-1762-7.ch018 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 459-485

Author(s):

Prabhakar Singh ◽

Sudhakar Singh ◽

Rajesh Kumar Kesharwani

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Blood Cells ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Release Kinetics ◽

Drug Carrier ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Drug Carriers ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ideal

In this pharma innovative world, there are more than 30 drug delivery systems. Today's due to lacking the target specificity, the present scenario about drug delivery is emphasizing towards targeted drug delivery systems. Erythrocytes are the most common type of blood cells travel thousands of miles from wide to narrow pathways to deliver oxygen, drugs and nutrient during their lifetime. Red blood cells have strong and targeted potential carrier capabilities for varieties of drugs. Drug-loaded carrier erythrocytes or resealed erythrocytes are promising for various passive and active targeting. Resealed erythrocyte have advantage over several drug carrier models like biocompatibility, biodegradability without toxic products, inert intracellular environment, entrapping potential for a variety of chemicals, protection of the organism against toxic effects of the drug, able to circulate throughout the body, ideal zero-order drug-release kinetics, no undesired immune response against encapsulated drug etc. Resealed erythrocytes are rapidly taken up by macrophages of the Reticuloendothelial System (RES) of the liver, lung, and spleen of the body and hence drugs also. Resealed erythrocytes method of drugs delivery is secure and effective for drugs targeting specially for a longer period of time. This chapter will explain the different method of drug loading for resealed erythrocytes, their characterization, and applications in various therapies and associated health benefits.

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Resealed Erythrocytes as Drug Carriers and Its Therapeutic Applications

Advances in Medical Technologies and Clinical Practice - Recent Advances in Drug Delivery Technology ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-0754-3.ch012 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 340-366

Author(s):

Prabhakar Singh ◽

Sudhakar Singh ◽

Rajesh Kumar Kesharwani

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Blood Cells ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Release Kinetics ◽

Drug Carrier ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Drug Carriers ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

The Body ◽

Body Ideal

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Lipid-Coated Nanosized Drug Delivery Systems For An Effective Cancer Therapy

Current Drug Delivery ◽

10.2174/1567201817666200512104441 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 ◽

Author(s):

Ozge Esim ◽

Canan Hascicek

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Cancer Therapy ◽

Cancer Treatment ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Polymeric Nanoparticles ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Inorganic Nanoparticles ◽

Coated Nanoparticle

: Currently, despite many active compounds have been introduced to the treatment, cancer remains one of the most vital causes of mortality and reduced quality of life. Conventional cancer treatments may have undesirable consequences due to the continuously differentiating, dynamic and heterogeneous nature of cancer. Recent advances in the field of cancer treatment have promoted the development of several novel nanoformulations. Among them, the lipid coated nanosized drug delivery systems have gained an increasing attention by the researchers in this field owing to the attractive properties such as high stability and biocompatibility, prolonged circulation time, high drug loading capacity and superior in vivo efficacy. They possess the advantages of both the liposomes and polymeric nanoparticles which makes them a chosen one in the field of drug delivery and targeting. Core-shell type lipid-coated nanoparticle systems, which provide the most prominent advantages of both liposomes such as biocompatibility and polymeric/inorganic nanoparticles such as mechanic properties, offer a new approach to cancer treatment. This review discusses design and production procedures used to prepare lipid-coated nanoparticle drug delivery systems, their advantages and multifunctional role in cancer therapy and diagnosis, as well as the applications they have been used in.

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Synthesis and in vitro Evaluation of Tamoxifen-Loaded Gelatin as Effective Nanocomplex in Drug Delivery Systems

International Journal of Nanoscience ◽

10.1142/s0219581x20500027 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (05) ◽

pp. 2050002

Author(s):

Nasrin Faramarzi ◽

Javad Mohammadnejad ◽

Hanieh Jafary ◽

Asghar Narmani ◽

Mojtaba Koosha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Cell Death ◽

Cancer Treatment ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Gelatin Nanoparticles ◽

Drug Efficiency ◽

Mcf 7

Recently, using gelatin nanoparticles as a biocompatible carrier in drug delivery systems is growing up. Drug delivery is one of the most common applications of nanoparticles in cancer treatment in order to optimize the drug efficiency. In this study, gelatin nanoparticles were firstly synthesized and loaded with tamoxifen that subsequently characterized by SEM, TGA and FT-IR analyses. The approximate drug loading efficiency was calculated about 17.43% for tamoxifen-loaded gelatin (TG). Then, the effect of TG on apoptosis induction and cytotoxicity of MCF-7 cell line was evaluated and compared with flow cytometry and MTT assay. The MTT results showed that tamoxifen and TG nanoparticles could inhibit the proliferation of MCF-7 cells in a dose-responsive manner, with an IC[Formula: see text] of IC[Formula: see text] of 200 [Formula: see text]g/mL and 50 [Formula: see text]g/mL after 24[Formula: see text]h and 48[Formula: see text]h, respectively. Moreover, from flow cytometric results, it can be suggested that TG nanoparticles are more potent in inducing apoptosis and cell death through programmed cell death. Actually, TG nanoparticles primarily increased the early apoptotic cells during the 24-h incubation period Our results revealed that tamoxifen-loaded gelatin nanoparticles are more potent than tamoxifen alone. These findings support the use of tamoxifen-loaded gelatin nanoparticles in target-specific therapy for cancer treatment.

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On-Demand Drug Delivery Systems Using Nanofibers

Nanomaterials ◽

10.3390/nano11123411 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 3411

Author(s):

Baljinder Singh ◽

Kibeom Kim ◽

Myoung-Hwan Park

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Drug Release ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Target Location ◽

Release Kinetics ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Therapeutic Effects ◽

High Porosity ◽

On Demand

On-demand drug-delivery systems using nanofibers are extensively applicable for customized drug release based on target location and timing to achieve the desired therapeutic effects. A nanofiber formulation is typically created for a certain medication and changing the drug may have a significant impact on the release kinetics from the same delivery system. Nanofibers have several distinguishing features and properties, including the ease with which they may be manufactured, the variety of materials appropriate for processing into fibers, a large surface area, and a complex pore structure. Nanofibers with effective drug-loading capabilities, controllable release, and high stability have gained the interest of researchers owing to their potential applications in on-demand drug delivery systems. Based on their composition and drug-release characteristics, we review the numerous types of nanofibers from the most recent accessible studies. Nanofibers are classified based on their mechanism of drug release, as well as their structure and content. To achieve controlled drug release, a suitable polymer, large surface-to-volume ratio, and high porosity of the nanofiber mesh are necessary. The properties of nanofibers for modified drug release are categorized here as protracted, stimulus-activated, and biphasic. Swellable or degradable polymers are commonly utilized to alter drug release. In addition to the polymer used, the process and ambient conditions can have considerable impacts on the release characteristics of the nanofibers. The formulation of nanofibers is highly complicated and depends on many variables; nevertheless, numerous options are available to accomplish the desired nanofiber drug-release characteristics.

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Diatoms Green Nanotechnology for Biosilica-Based Drug Delivery Systems

10.20944/preprints201810.0512.v1 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Monica Terracciano ◽

Luca De Stefano ◽

Ilaria Rea

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Low Cost ◽

Release Kinetics ◽

Drug Carrier ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Porous Silica ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

High Specific Surface Area ◽

Artificial Environment

Diatom microalgae are the most outstanding natural source of porous silica. Diatom cell is enclosed in 3-D ordered nanopatterned silica cell wall, called frustule. The unique properties of diatoms frustule, including high specific surface area, thermal stability, biocompatibility, tailorable surface chemistry, make them really promising for biomedical applications. Moreover, diatoms are easy to cultivate in artificial environment and there is a huge availability of diatom frustules as fossil material (diatomite) in several areas of the world. For all these reasons, diatoms are an intriguing alternative to synthetic materials for the development of low-cost drug delivery systems. This review article focuses on the possible use of diatoms derived silica as drug carrier systems. The functionalization strategies of diatom micro-/nanoparticles for improving their biophysical properties, such as cellular internalization and drug loading/release kinetics, are described. In addition, the realization of hybrid diatom-based devices with advanced properties for theranostics and targeted or augmented drug delivery applications, are also discussed.

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Chitosan-based Polymer Matrix for Pharmaceutical Excipients and Drug Delivery

Current Medicinal Chemistry ◽

10.2174/0929867325666180927100817 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (14) ◽

pp. 2502-2513 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Md. Iqbal Hassan Khan ◽

Xingye An ◽

Lei Dai ◽

Hailong Li ◽

Avik Khan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Drug Carrier ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Cancer Drug ◽

Release Mechanism ◽

Innovative Drug ◽

Pharmaceutical Excipients ◽

Weight Variation

The development of innovative drug delivery systems, versatile to different drug characteristics with better effectiveness and safety, has always been in high demand. Chitosan, an aminopolysaccharide, derived from natural chitin biomass, has received much attention as one of the emerging pharmaceutical excipients and drug delivery entities. Chitosan and its derivatives can be used for direct compression tablets, as disintegrant for controlled release or for improving dissolution. Chitosan has been reported for use in drug delivery system to produce drugs with enhanced muco-adhesiveness, permeation, absorption and bioavailability. Due to filmogenic and ionic properties of chitosan and its derivative(s), drug release mechanism using microsphere technology in hydrogel formulation is particularly relevant to pharmaceutical product development. This review highlights the suitability and future of chitosan in drug delivery with special attention to drug loading and release from chitosan based hydrogels. Extensive studies on the favorable non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, solubility and molecular weight variation have made this polymer an attractive candidate for developing novel drug delivery systems including various advanced therapeutic applications such as gene delivery, DNA based drugs, organ specific drug carrier, cancer drug carrier, etc.

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Advances in the use of MOFs for Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment: An Overview

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200406153949 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (33) ◽

pp. 4174-4184

Author(s):

Marina P. Abuçafy ◽

Bruna L. da Silva ◽

João A. Oshiro-Junior ◽

Eloisa B. Manaia ◽

Bruna G. Chiari-Andréo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Delivery ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Rational Design ◽

Gas Adsorption ◽

Drug Loading ◽

Drug Carriers ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Academic Community ◽

Anticancer Drug Delivery ◽

Diagnostic Agents

Nanoparticles as drug delivery systems and diagnostic agents have gained much attention in recent years, especially for cancer treatment. Nanocarriers improve the therapeutic efficiency and bioavailability of antitumor drugs, besides providing preferential accumulation at the target site. Among different types of nanocarriers for drug delivery assays, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have attracted increasing interest in the academic community. MOFs are an emerging class of coordination polymers constructed of metal nodes or clusters and organic linkers that show the capacity to combine a porous structure with high drug loading through distinct kinds of interactions, overcoming the limitations of traditional drug carriers explored up to date. Despite the rational design and synthesis of MOFs, structural aspects and some applications of these materials like gas adsorption have already been comprehensively described in recent years; it is time to demonstrate their potential applications in biomedicine. In this context, MOFs can be used as drug delivery systems and theranostic platforms due to their ability to release drugs and accommodate imaging agents. This review describes the intrinsic characteristics of nanocarriers used in cancer therapy and highlights the latest advances in MOFs as anticancer drug delivery systems and diagnostic agents.

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Improved Therapeutic Efficacy of Topotecan Against A549 Lung Cancer Cells with Folate-targeted Topotecan Liposomes

Current Drug Metabolism ◽

10.2174/1389200221999200820163337 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (11) ◽

pp. 902-909

Author(s):

Jingxin Zhang ◽

Weiyue Shi ◽

Gangqiang Xue ◽

Qiang Ma ◽

Haixin Cui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lung Cancer ◽

Drug Delivery ◽

Cancer Cells ◽

Targeted Delivery ◽

Therapeutic Efficacy ◽

Drug Delivery Systems ◽

Lung Tumor ◽

A549 Cells ◽

Delivery Systems ◽

Lung Cancer Cells

Background: Among all cancers, lung cancer has high mortality among patients in most of the countries in the world. Targeted delivery of anticancer drugs can significantly reduce the side effects and dramatically improve the effects of the treatment. Folate, a suitable ligand, can be modified to the surface of tumor-selective drug delivery systems because it can selectively bind to the folate receptor, which is highly expressed on the surface of lung tumor cells. Objective: This study aimed to construct a kind of folate-targeted topotecan liposomes for investigating their efficacy and mechanism of action in the treatment of lung cancer in preclinical models. Methods: We conjugated topotecan liposomes with folate, and the liposomes were characterized by particle size, entrapment efficiency, cytotoxicity to A549 cells and in vitro release profile. Technical evaluations were performed on lung cancer A549 cells and xenografted A549 cancer cells in female nude mice, and the pharmacokinetics of the drug were evaluated in female SD rats. Results: The folate-targeted topotecan liposomes were proven to show effectiveness in targeting lung tumors. The anti-tumor effects of these liposomes were demonstrated by the decreased tumor volume and improved therapeutic efficacy. The folate-targeted topotecan liposomes also lengthened the topotecan blood circulation time. Conclusion: The folate-targeted topotecan liposomes are effective drug delivery systems and can be easily modified with folate, enabling the targeted liposomes to deliver topotecan to lung cancer cells and kill them, which could be used as potential carriers for lung chemotherapy.

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