Abstract
Simple SummaryDespite the existence of powerful therapeutic agents, cancer is still an incurable disease in many clinical scenarios. In this regard, nanomedicine and particularly polymeric nanoparticles have raised attention as a manner to improved drug delivery. Polymeric nanoparticles can optimize existent compounds or be used to improve the formulation for novel therapeutics. In this article the advantages and disadvantages of polymeric nanoparticles will be discussed, and current nanodevices, raw materials for their formulation, methods of formulation, and polymeric nanoparticles in clinical investigations will be reviewed. Finally, options for improvement and clinical applications will be suggested.Many therapeutic agents have failed in their clinical development, due to the toxic effects associated with non-transformed tissues. In this context, nanotechnology has been exploited to overcome such limitations, and also improve navigation across biological barriers. Amongst the many materials used in nanomedicine, with promising properties as therapeutic carriers, the following one stands out: biodegradable and biocompatible polymers. Polymeric nanoparticles are ideal candidates for drug delivery, given the versatility of raw materials and their feasibility in large-scale production. Furthermore, polymeric nanoparticles show great potential for easy surface modifications to optimize pharmacokinetics, including the half-life in circulation and targeted tissue delivery. Herein, we provide an overview of the current applications of polymeric nanoparticles as platforms in the development of novel nanomedicines for cancer treatment. In particular, we will focus on the raw materials that are widely used for polymeric nanoparticle generation, current methods for formulation, mechanism of action, and clinical investigations.
Highlights
At the end of the nineties, nanomedicine arose as a panacea for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases
The mechanism of action of polymeric NPs is based on the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect
There are more than 15 nanomedicines on the market for cancer treatment [98]
Summary
At the end of the nineties, nanomedicine arose as a panacea for the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. These NPs are stable during storage, and large-scale production is feasible They show great potential for easy surface modifications to optimize pharmacokinetics, including the half-life in circulation and tissue delivery, and, by modulating the polymer structure, loading and release kinetics can be controlled [27,28,29]. It is worth noting other advantages of polymeric NPs, such as the ease of customized surfaces to be constructed to recognize target proteins and cells [30], along with the generation of stimuli-responsive nanodevices [31,32]. Urothelial carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, cervical cancer and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
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