Design Of Drug Delivery Systems Research Articles

Role of Computational Modeling in the Design and Development of Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery Systems

Role of Computational Modeling in the Design and Development of Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery Systems

Designing drug delivery systems for cell therapy

Designing drug delivery systems for cell therapy

Intelligent Systems Based on Cyclodextrins for the Treatment of Breast Cancer.

The incidence of breast cancer has been increasing over the last four decades, although the mortality rate has decreased. Endocrine therapy and chemotherapy are the most used options for cancer treatment but several obstacles are still attributed to these therapies. Smart materials, such as nanocarriers for targeting, delivery and release of active ingredients, sensitive to intrinsic-stimuli (pH-responsive, redox-responsive, enzyme- responsive, and thermo-responsive) and extrinsic-stimuli (ultrasound-responsive, magnetic-responsive, light-responsive) have been studied as a novel strategy in breast cancer therapy. Cyclodextrins (CDs) are used in the design of these stimuli-responsive drug carrier and delivery systems, either through inclusion complexes with hydrophobic molecules or covalent bonds with large structures to generate new materials. The present work aims to gather and integrate recent data from in vitro and in vivo preclinical studies of CD-based stimuli- responsive systems to contribute to the research in treating breast cancer. All drug carriers showed high in vitro release rates in the presence of a stimulus. The stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms presented biocompatibility and satisfactory results of IC50, inhibition of cell viability and antitumor activity against several breast cancer cell lines. Additionally, these systems led to a significant reduction in drug dosages, which encouraged possible clinical studies for better alternatives to traditional antitumor therapies.

Kinetics Aspects in Design and Release of Nasal Drug Delivery Systems

The traditional school of Indian medicine includes a sort of nasal therapy known as Nasya karma. There is a lot of recent interest in using the nasal route for administering difficult medications including tiny polar compounds, vaccines, hormones, peptides, and proteins. Nasal drug molecules are highly suited for systemic distribution and the absence of hepatic first-pass metabolism. Vaccination through the nose is thought to be a straightforward and economical method with improved patient compliance, and it may also provide immunity at numerous distant mucosal locations. Microparticle, nanoparticle, and liposomal nasal vaccination delivery technologies are now in development and show protection in animal models. Both pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics of nasal administration devices have been studied in-vivo by a number of different research organizations. The purpose of this review was to summarise these studies and bring attention to the work done on nasal-based formulations to better treat conditions like epilepsy, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Kinetics Aspects in Design and Release of Nasal Drug Delivery Systems

The traditional school of Indian medicine includes a sort of nasal therapy known as Nasya karma. There is a lot of recent interest in using the nasal route for administering difficult medications including tiny polar compounds, vaccines, hormones, peptides, and proteins. Nasal drug molecules are highly suited for systemic distribution and the absence of hepatic first-pass metabolism. Vaccination through the nose is thought to be a straightforward and economical method with improved patient compliance, and it may also provide immunity at numerous distant mucosal locations. Microparticle, nanoparticle, and liposomal nasal vaccination delivery technologies are now in development and show protection in animal models. Both pharmacokinetics & pharmacodynamics of nasal administration devices have been studied in-vivo by a number of different research organizations. The purpose of this review was to summarise these studies and bring attention to the work done on nasal-based formulations to better treat conditions like epilepsy, schizophrenia, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Design and synthesis of drug hydrogels containing carboxymethylcellulose with honeycomb structure and pH-sensitivity as drug delivery systems for adriamycin, metformin, and naproxen

The aim of this research is to prepare and identify functionalized carboxymethylcellulose/mesoporous silica nanohydrogels (CMC/NH2-MCM-41) for obtaining a pH-sensitive system for the controlled release of drugs. The beads of CMC/NH2-MCM-41 nanocomposites were prepared by dispersing NH2-MCM-41 in a CMC polymer matrix and crosslinking with ferric ions (Fe3+). The SEM analysis of samples revealed enhancement in surface porosity of the functionalized nanohydrogel beads compared to the conventional beads. Swelling of the prepared functionalized nanohydrogels was evaluated at various pH values including pH = 7.35–7.45 (simulated body fluid or healthy cells), pH = 6 (simulated intestinal fluid), and pH = 1.5–3.5 (simulated gastric fluid). The swelling of CMC/MCM-41 and CMC/NH2-MCM-41 nanohydrogels at the pH values of simulated body fluid and simulated intestinal fluid is much higher than that of simulated gastric fluid, indicating successful synthesis of pH-sensitive nanohydrogels for drug delivery. The drug loading results showed that drug release in the CMC/NH2-MCM-41 system is much slower than that in the CMC/MCM-41 system. The results of the survival studies for the manufactured systems showed a very good biocompatibility of the designed drug delivery systems for biological applications. By coating the surface of functionalized mesopores with CMC hydrogel, we were able to develop a pH-sensitive intelligent drug delivery system.

Sustained-release drug delivery systems.

The design and development of a sustained-release drug delivery system targeting the administration of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) to the eye could overcome the limitations of topically administered eye drops. Understanding how to modify or design new materials with specific functional properties that promote the attachment and release of specific drugs over longer time periods, alongside understanding clinical needs, can lead to new strategic opportunities to improve treatment options. In this paper we discuss two approaches to the design or modification of materials to produce a sustained therapeutic effect. Firstly, we discuss how the synthesis of a peptide hydrogel from a naturally-derived antimicrobial material led to the design of a bandage contact lens which may be able to be used prophylactically to reduce post-surgery infection. Secondly, we discuss how silicone oil tamponade agents used to treat retinal detachments can have adjunctive behaviour to enhance the solubility of the anti-proliferative drug retinoic acid and produce a sustained release over several weeks. These studies are the result of close partnerships between clinical ophthalmologists, materials scientists, and chemists, and illustrate how these partnerships can lead to comprehensive understandings that have the potential to change patient outcomes.

Transformation of a Viral Capsid from Nanocages to Nanotubes and Then to Hydrogels: Redirected Self-Assembly and Effects on Immunogenicity.

The ability to manipulate the self-assembly of proteins is essential to understanding the mechanisms of life and beneficial to fabricating advanced nanomaterials. Here, we report the transformation of the MS2 phage capsid from nanocages to nanotubes and then to nanotube hydrogels through simple point mutations guided by interfacial interaction redesign. We demonstrate that site 70, which lies in the flexible FG loop of the capsid protein (CP), is a "magic" site that can largely dictate the final morphology of assemblies. By varying the amino acid at site 70, with the aid of a cysteine-to-alanine mutation at site 46, we achieved the assembly of double-helical or single-helical nanotubes in addition to nanocages. Furthermore, an additional cysteine substitution on the surface of nanotubes mediated their cross-linking to form hydrogels with reducing agent responsiveness. The hierarchical self-assembly system allowed for the investigation of morphology-related immunogenicity of MS2 CPs, which revealed dramatic differences among nanocages, nanotubes, and nanotube hydrogels in terms of immune response types, antibody levels and T cell functions. This study provides insights into the assembly manipulation of protein nanomaterials and the customized design of nanovaccines and drug delivery systems.

On the additive artificial intelligence-based discovery of nanoparticle neurodegenerative disease drug delivery systems.

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by slowly progressing neuronal cell death. Conventional drug treatment strategies often fail because of poor solubility, low bioavailability, and the inability of the drugs to effectively cross the blood-brain barrier. Therefore, the development of new neurodegenerative disease drugs (NDDs) requires immediate attention. Nanoparticle (NP) systems are of increasing interest for transporting NDDs to the central nervous system. However, discovering effective nanoparticle neuronal disease drug delivery systems (N2D3Ss) is challenging because of the vast number of combinations of NP and NDD compounds, as well as the various assays involved. Artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) algorithms have the potential to accelerate this process by predicting the most promising NDD and NP candidates for assaying. Nevertheless, the relatively limited amount of reported data on N2D3S activity compared to assayed NDDs makes AI/ML analysis challenging. In this work, the IFPTML technique, which combines information fusion (IF), perturbation theory (PT), and machine learning (ML), was employed to address this challenge. Initially, we conducted the fusion into a unified dataset comprising 4403 NDD assays from ChEMBL and 260 NP cytotoxicity assays from journal articles. Through a resampling process, three new working datasets were generated, each containing 500,000 cases. We utilized linear discriminant analysis (LDA) along with artificial neural network (ANN) algorithms, such as multilayer perceptron (MLP) and deep learning networks (DLN), to construct linear and non-linear IFPTML models. The IFPTML-LDA models exhibited sensitivity (Sn) and specificity (Sp) values in the range of 70% to 73% (>375,000 training cases) and 70% to 80% (>125,000 validation cases), respectively. In contrast, the IFPTML-MLP and IFPTML-DLN achieved Sn and Sp values in the range of 85% to 86% for both training and validation series. Additionally, IFPTML-ANN models showed an area under the receiver operating curve (AUROC) of approximately 0.93 to 0.95. These results indicate that the IFPTML models could serve as valuable tools in the design of drug delivery systems for neurosciences.

A Biodegradable Nano-Drug Delivery Platform for Co-Delivery of Minocycline and Chitosan to Achieve Efficient and Safe Non-Surgical Periodontitis Therapy.

Mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSN) are widely used as ideal nanovehicles for the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs. However, the balance between high anti-periodontitis activity and low biotoxicity has been challenging to maintain in most relevant studies owing to the slow degradation of silica in living organisms. In this study, -responsive hydroxyapatite (HAP) was doped into the MSN skeleton, and the chemotherapeutic drug minocycline hydrochloride (MH) was loaded into the pores of MSN, forming a negatively charged drug delivery system. Cationic chitosan (COS) is a biodegradable material with high antibacterial performance and good biosafety. In this study, COS was immobilized on the surface of the drug-loaded particles through stable charge interaction to construct a composite drug delivery system (MH@MSNion@COS). In vitro and cellular experiments demonstrated effective degradation of the nanocarrier system and synchronized controlled release of the drug. Notably, compared with single MH administration, this system, in which MH and COS jointly regulated the expression levels of periodontitis- associated inflammatory factors (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β, and iNOS), better inhibited the progress of periodontitis and induced tissue regeneration without showing significant toxic side effects in cells. This system provides a promising strategy for the design of intelligent, efficient, and safe anti-periodontitis drug delivery systems.

Fast dissolving tablet

Fast dissolving tablets have emerged as a popular dosage form, particularly beneficial for pediatric and geriatric patients facing challenges such as dysphagia or hand tremors. These tablets dissolve quickly in saliva without needing water, enhancing compliance and effectiveness of therapy. They offer advantages like easy portability, accurate dosing, and improved bioavailability. Various technologies, including spray drying and melt granulation, have been developed for their manufacturing. This review provides comprehensive information on fast dissolving tablets, covering their definition, advantages, limitations, challenges, and available formulations. The design of an oral drug delivery system prioritizes convenience in administration and improved patient compliance, making it the preferred route of drug delivery despite certain drawbacks. Over the last decade, there has been a growing demand for Fast Disintegrating Tablets (FDTS), turning this field into a rapidly expanding area within the pharmaceutical industry. The formulation’s popularity and effectiveness have led to the development of various FDT technologies. These technologies aim to achieve rapid tablet disintegration and mouth dissolution within five seconds, eliminating the need for chewing or water intake. This characteristic is particularly advantageous for populations such as pediatrics, geriatrics, and patients facing difficulties in swallowing conventional tablets and capsules. The formulation of an easily administrable dosage form, considering challenges like swallowing difficulties and low patient compliance, has driven the creation of orally disintegrating tablets. Traditional preparation methods include spray drying, freeze drying, direct compression, molding, and sublimation. In addition, new technologies have been devised to enhance the production of orodispersible tablets.

Dynamic Simulations of Interaction of the PEG-DPPE Micelle-Encapsulated Short-Chain Ceramides with the Raft-Included Membrane.

The lipid raft subdomains in cancer cell membranes play a key role in signal transduction, biomolecule recruitment, and drug transmembrane transport. Augmented membrane rigidity due to the formation of a lipid raft is unfavorable for the entry of drugs, a limiting factor in clinical oncology. The short-chain ceramide (CER) has been reported to promote drug entry into membranes and disrupt lipid raft formation, but the underlying mechanism is not well understood. We recently explored the carrier-membrane fusion dynamics of PEG-DPPE micelles in delivering doxorubicin (DOX). Based on the phase-segregated membrane model composed of DPPC/DIPC/CHOL/GM1/PIP2, we aim to explore the dynamic mechanism of the PEG-DPPE micelle-encapsulating DOXs in association with the raft-included cell membrane modulated by C8 acyl tail CERs. The results show that the lipid raft remains integrated and DOX-resistant subjected to free DOXs and the micelle-encapsulating ones. Addition of CERs disorganizes the lipid raft by pushing CHOL aside from DPPC. It subsequently allows for a good permeability for PEG-DPPE micelle-encapsulated DOXs, which penetrate deeper as CER concentration increases. GM1 is significant in guiding drugs' redistributing between bilayer phases, and the anionic PIP2 further helps DOXs attain the inner bilayer surface. These results elaborate on the perturbing effect of CERs on lipid raft stability, which provides a new comprehensive approach for further design of drug delivery systems.

Rational design of a nonclassical liposomal nanoscale drug delivery system for innovative cancer therapy

AbstractAdvanced drug delivery systems are widely considered to be powerful approaches for treating cancer and many other diseases because of their superior ability to improve pharmacokinetics, promote lesion‐targeted delivery efficacy, and/or reduce the toxic effects of diverse therapeutics. Owing to the unique biomimetic structure of lipid bilayers surrounding aqueous cavities, liposomes have been found to encapsulate various therapeutics, ranging from small molecules with different hydrophobicities to biomacromolecules. With the advent of surface PEGylation, stealth liposomes with excellent in vivo long‐circulating behaviors have been generated, thus these liposomes have been extensively explored for the development of liposomal drugs with greatly improved in vivo pharmacokinetic behaviors by functioning as delivery vehicles. Inspired by their successes in clinical practice, stealth liposomes have recently been utilized as the main building scaffold or surface coating layers of other nanoparticulate formulations, which are coined as nonclassical liposomal nanoscale drug delivery systems (NDDSs) in this review, to enable the rational design of next‐generation liposomal nanomedicine. Therefore, after overviewing the latest progress in the development of conventional liposome‐based nanomedicine, we will introduce the development of these nonclassical liposomal NDDSs as well as their innovative cancer treatment strategies. We will subsequently provide a critical perspective on the future development of new cancer nanomedicines based on these rationally designed nonclassical liposomal NDDSs.

Modular Synthesis of PEG-Dendritic Block Copolymers by Thermal Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition with Internal Alkynes and Evaluation of their Self-Assembly for Drug Delivery Applications.

Linear-dendritic block copolymers assemble in solution due to differences in the solubility or charge properties of the blocks. The monodispersity and multivalency of the dendritic block provide unparalleled control for the design of drug delivery systems when incorporating poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as a linear block. An accelerated synthesis of PEG-dendritic block copolymers based on the click and green chemistry pillars is described. The tandem composed of the thermal azide-alkyne cycloaddition with internal alkynes and azide substitution is revealed as a flexible, reliable, atom-economical, and user-friendly strategy for the synthesis and functionalization of biodegradable (polyester) PEG-dendritic block copolymers. The high orthogonality of the sequence has been exploited for the preparation of heterolayered copolymers with terminal alkenes and alkynes, which are amenable for subsequent functionalization by thiol-ene and thiol-yne click reactions. Copolymers with tunable solubility and charge were so obtained for the preparation of various types of nanoassemblies with promising applications in drug delivery.

Enhancing Drug Delivery Efficacy Through Bilayer Coating of Zirconium-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks: Sustained Release and Improved Chemical Stability and Cellular Uptake for Cancer Therapy.

The development of nanoparticle (NP)-based drug carriers has presented an exciting opportunity to address challenges in oncology. Among the 100,000 available possibilities, zirconium-based metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as promising candidates in biomedical applications. Zr-MOFs can be easily synthesized as small-size NPs compatible with intravenous injection, whereas the ease of decorating their external surfaces with functional groups allows for targeted treatment. Despite these benefits, Zr-MOFs suffer degradation and aggregation in real, in vivo conditions, whereas the loaded drugs will suffer the burst effect-i.e., the fast release of drugs in less than 48 h. To tackle these issues, we developed a simple but effective bilayer coating strategy in a generic, two-step process. In this work, bilayer-coated MOF NU-901 remained well dispersed in biologically relevant fluids such as buffers and cell growth media. Additionally, the coating enhances the long-term stability of drug-loaded MOFs in water by simultaneously preventing sustained leakage of the drug and aggregation of the MOF particles. We evaluated our materials for the encapsulation and transport of pemetrexed, the standard-of-care chemotherapy in mesothelioma. The bilayer coating allowed for a slowed release of pemetrexed over 7 days, superior to the typical 48 h release found in bare MOFs. This slow release and the related performance were studied in vitro using both A549 lung cancer and 3T mesothelioma cells. Using high-resolution microscopy, we found the successful uptake of bilayer-coated MOFs by the cells with an accumulation in the lysosomes. The pemetrex-loaded NU-901 was indeed cytotoxic to 3T and A549 cancer cells. Finally, we demonstrated the general approach by extending the coating strategy using two additional lipids and four surfactants. This research highlights how a simple yet effective bilayer coating provides new insights into the design of promising MOF-based drug delivery systems.

Injectable Chitosan Hydrogels Doped with 2D Peptide Nanosheet-Drug Conjugates for Glutathione-Responsive Sustained Drug Delivery.

The development of novel and effective drug delivery systems aimed at enhancing therapeutic profile and efficacy of therapeutic agents is a critical challenge in modern medicine. This study presents an intelligent drug delivery system based on self-assembled two-dimensional peptide nanosheets (2D PNSs). Leveraging the tunable properties of amino acid structures and sequences, we design a peptide with the sequence of Fmoc-FKKGSHC, which self-assembles into 2D PNSs with uniform structure, high biocompatibility, and excellent degradability. Covalent attachment of thiol-modified doxorubicin (DOX) drugs to 2D PNSs via disulfide bond results in the peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs), which is denoted as PNS-SS-DOX. Subsequently, the PDCs are encapsulated within the injectable, thermosensitive chitosan (CS) hydrogels for drug delivery. The designed drug delivery system demonstrates outstanding pH-responsiveness and sustained drug release capabilities, which are facilitated by the characteristics of the CS hydrogels. Meanwhile, the covalently linked disulfide bond within the PNS-SS-DOX is responsive to intracellular glutathione (GSH) within tumor cells, enabling controlled drug release and significantly inhibiting the cancer cell growth. This responsive peptide-drug conjugate based on a 2D peptide nanoplatform paves the way for the development of smart drug delivery systems and has bright prospects in the future biomedicine field.

Advancing Bone-Targeted Drug Delivery: Leveraging Biological Factors and Nanoparticle Designs to Improve Therapeutic Efficacy.

Designing targeted drug delivery systems to effectively treat bone diseases ranging from osteoporosis to nonunion bone defects remains a significant challenge. Previously, nanoparticles (NPs) self-assembled from diblock copolymers of poly(styrene-alt-maleic anhydride)-b-poly(styrene) (PSMA-b-PS) delivering a Wnt agonist were shown to effectively target bone and improve healing via the introduction of a peptide with high affinity to tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), an enzyme deposited by the osteoclasts during bone remodeling. Despite these promising results, the underlying biological factors governing targeting and subsequent drug delivery system (DDS) design parameters have not been examined to enable the rational design to improve bone selectivity. Therefore, this work investigated the effect of target ligand density, the treatment window after injury, specificity of TRAP binding peptide (TBP), the extent of TRAP deposition, and underlying genetic factors (e.g., mouse strain differences) on TBP-NP targeting. Data based on in vitro binding studies and in vivo biodistribution analyses using a murine femoral fracture model suggest that TBP-NP-TRAP interactions and TBP-NP bone accumulation were ligand-density-dependent; in vitro, TRAP affinity was correlated with ligand density up to the maximum of 200,000 TBP ligands/NP, while NPs with 80,000 TBP ligands showed 2-fold increase in fracture accumulation at day 21 post injury compared with that of untargeted or scrambled controls. While fracture accumulation exhibited similar trends when injected at day 3 compared to that at day 21 postfracture, there were no significant differences observed between TBP-functionalized and control NPs, possibly due to saturation of TRAP by NPs at day 3. Leveraging a calcium-depletion diet, TRAP deposition and TBP-NP bone accumulation were positively correlated, confirming that TRAP-TBP binding leads to TBP-NP bone accumulation in vivo. Furthermore, TBP-NP exhibited similar bone accumulation in both C57BL/6 and BALB/c mouse strains versus control NPs, suggesting the broad applicability of TBP-NP regardless of the underlying genetic differences. These studies provide insight into TBP-NP design, mechanism, and therapeutic windows, which inform NP design and treatment strategies for fractures and other bone-associated diseases that leverage TRAP, such as marrow-related hematologic diseases.

Photo-responsive doxorubicin delivery: Nanogel systems based on azobenzene and host-guest interactions enhanced by squeezing action

Conventional chemotherapy methods impact both normal and cancerous cells; therefore, it is essential to design drug delivery systems to reduce undesired drug effects. Nano-scaled drug delivery systems have the advantage of high retention time in blood as well as the capability of conventional penetration into tissue barriers. In this study, light-sensitive biocompatible nanogels with a core-shell structure have been synthesized and characterized as drug delivery system loaded with doxorubicin (DOX). These smart nanogels possess a hydrophobic core, coated with hydrophilic starch polymeric chains, which are modified with β-cyclodextrin (βCD). The core-shell formation is based on host-guest interaction between azobenzene rings as photochromic agents and βCD hydrophobic cavities. The mechanism of drug release is based on the cis-trans isomerization of azobenzene molecules upon light irradiation and dissociation of crore-shell entities. Due to this isomerization, shrinkage of hydrophobic core and removal of shell occurred simultaneously, which assist the drug release. In conclusion, a nanoscale carrier was designed with sustainable drug release under light irradiation as an external and non-contact stimulus. The synthesized nanogels were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, SEM, DLS, and TEM. In addition, the MTT assay proposed that the viability of the A-431 cells has plunged in the presence irradiated nanogels, also histological studies were performed to evaluate the efficacy of the prepared nanogels in cancerous tissues.

The Lawson-loaded β-cyclodextrin nanocarriers (LB-NCs) a novel targeted cancer cell in stomach and breast cancer as a drug delivery system.

Applying nanotechnology to design drug delivery systems is a promising turning point in cancer treatment strategies. In the current study, Lawson, a nonpolar anticancer phytochemical, was entrapped into β-cyclodextrin polymer to evaluate its selective cytotoxicity in several types of human cancer cell lines including MCF-7, AGS, A549, and PC3. The Lawson-loaded β-cyclodextrin nanocarriers (LB-NCs) were produced by applying a high-energy ultrasound-mediated homogenization technique. The LB-NCs were characterized by applying dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), zeta potential, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) analysis. Also, the selective cytotoxic impact of the LB-NCs was studied by conducting the MTT assay on human MCF-7, AGS, A549, and PC3 cancer cell lines. Finally, the type of cellular death was evaluated by measuring the cell cycle status and apoptotic gene expression profile of the treated MCF-7 cells by conducting flow cytometry and Q-PCR methods, respectively. The synthesized negatively charged (- 23.8 mV) nanoparticles (348.12 nm) exhibited apoptotic activity in the human breast MCF-7 cancer cells by upregulating the apoptotic gene expression profile (Caspase 3, 8, and 9). The LB-NCs exhibited a significant selective cytotoxic effect on the human cancer cell lines compared with the normal HUVEC cells. However, variable toxic intensities were detected depending on the cancer cell type. Selective cancer cell-depended anticancer activity of the produced LB-NCs has the potential to be considered their safe efficient targeted anticancer activity. However, studying the animal cancer models has to be conducted to verify their selective toxicity and clarify the cellular death mechanism.

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen) based nano-delivery systems for anticancer therapeutics

BackgroundThe ancient Chinese herb Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen), plays the important role in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease. Furthermore, Danshen could also be used for curing carcinogenesis. Up to now, the anti-tumor effects of the main active constituents of Danshen have made great progress. However, the bioavailability of the active constituents of Danshen were restricted by their unique physical characteristics, like low oral bioavailability, rapid degradation in vivo and so on. PurposeWith the leap development of nano-delivery systems, the shortcomings of the active constituents of Danshen have been greatly ameliorated. This review tried to summarize the recent progress of the active constituents of Danshen based delivery systems used for anti-tumor therapeutics. MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted using 5 databases (Embase, Google scholar, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science databases) for the identification of relevant data published before September 2023. The words "Danshen", "Salvia miltiorrhiza", "Tanshinone", "Salvianolic acid", "Rosmarinic acid", "tumor", "delivery", "nanomedicine" and other active ingredients contained in Danshen were searched in the above databases to gather information about pharmaceutical decoration for the active constituents of Danshen used for anti-tumor therapeutics. ResultsThe main extracts of Danshen could inhibit the proliferation of tumor cells effectively and a great deal of studies were conducted to design drug delivery systems to ameliorate the anti-tumor effect of the active contents of Danshen through different ways, like improving bioavailability, increasing tumor targeting ability, enhancing biological barrier permeability and co-delivering with other active agents. ConclusionThis review systematically represented recent progress of pharmaceutical decorations for the active constituents of Danshen used for anti-tumor therapeutics, revealing the diversity of nano-decoration skills and trying to inspire more designs of Danshen based nanodelivery systems, with the hope that bringing the nanomedicine of the active constituents of Danshen for anti-tumor therapeutics from bench to bedside in the near future.