Therapeutic potential of ceragenins and nanosystems containing membrane active compounds in the anti-cancer therapies

Constantly increasing morbidity and mortality of cancer, complex immunopathogenesis of tumors and variable development and severity of the disease, enforce a constant search for new therapeutic factors with anti-cancer activity. Despite the constant achievements in anti- -cancer diagnostic and therapeutic methods development, the low specificity and high toxicity of cytostatics, and the multidrug resistance expansion, still remain a considerable health problem. Currently, natural, cationic antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic lipid analogs from the ceragenin group (CSA) are presented as potential antineoplastic compounds. Their special features, including the membrane permeabilizing-based mechanism of action, selectivity towards tumor cells, biocompatibility and the absence of a recorded anti-AMPs resistance mechanism, make cationic antineoplastic peptides an effective alternative to modern cytostatics. Moreover, a compelling number of research confirm the possibility of using magnetic nanoparticles as highly effective and biocompatible drug carriers, ensuring the achievement of a sufficiently high intracellular concentration of drug and thus, increasing its antineoplastic activity. The results obtained so far indicate the possibility of the employment of natural AMPs and their synthetic analogs from ceragenins group in an effective eradication of cancer cells. Nevertheless, further studies aiming to elucidate the safety of proposed nanosystems and focused on the employment of ceragenin-based nanosystems in diagnostic MRI imaging and as hyperthermia inducers are needed and justified.