Old Drugs in a New Package: Future of Cancer Nanomedicine

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Cancer Drug Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 October 2024) | Viewed by 5655

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC 277018, USA
Interests: genetically engineered materials; nanotechnology; drug and gene delivery; anti-cancer therapeutics

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Chemistry Department, BITS-Pilani K K Birla Goa Campus, Zuarinagar, Sancoale, Goa 403726, India
Interests: medicinal chemistry; bioinorganic chemistry; nanotherapeutics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Seminal research on cancer nanomedicine in last several decades has begun to pay dividends in the clinic, allowing for the delivery of cancer drugs with enhanced systemic circulation while also minimizing off-target toxicity. There is a stark difference between the number of preclinical trials of cancer nanomedicine and the clinical translation of the same. Despite the advantages proposed by the preclinical studies, the major hurdles of delivering cancer drugs using nanoparticles, micelles, or other nanostructures, are the biological, pharmaceutical or translational barriers. Membrane impermeability, endosomal and lysosomal escape, bloodstream stability, desired biodistribution profile, drug release and elimination kinetics and production costs along with patient compliance are some of the major hindrances. To tackle these translational challenges, there have been efforts to develop smart innovative drug delivery materials and therapeutic strategies. In this issue we aim to address the current stagnancy in cancer nanomedicine with the focus on how researchers are trying to (i) improve therapeutic window of the already approved drug, (ii) understand nano-bio interaction, (iii) break the current asymptote of the cancer nanomedicine, and (iv) improve clinical translatability and patient compliance.

Dr. Soumen Saha
Dr. Uttara Basu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Cancers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • approved drugs
  • repurposing old drugs
  • nano-bio interaction
  • advanced biomaterials
  • clinical translation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 3519 KiB  
Article
From 2D to 3D In Vitro World: Sonodynamically-Induced Prooxidant Proapoptotic Effects of C60-Berberine Nanocomplex on Cancer Cells
by Aleksandar Radivoievych, Sophia Schnepel, Svitlana Prylutska, Uwe Ritter, Oliver Zolk, Marcus Frohme and Anna Grebinyk
Cancers 2024, 16(18), 3184; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16183184 - 18 Sep 2024
Viewed by 701
Abstract
Objectives: The primary objective of this research targeted the biochemical effects of SDT on human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) and mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells grown in 2D monolayer and 3D spheroid cell culture. Methods: HeLa and LLC monolayers and spheroids were treated [...] Read more.
Objectives: The primary objective of this research targeted the biochemical effects of SDT on human cervix carcinoma (HeLa) and mouse Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells grown in 2D monolayer and 3D spheroid cell culture. Methods: HeLa and LLC monolayers and spheroids were treated with a 20 µM C60-Ber for 24 h, followed by irradiation with 1 MHz, 1 W/cm2 US. To evaluate the efficacy of the proposed treatment on cancer cells, assessments of cell viability, caspase 3/7 activity, ATP levels, and ROS levels were conducted. Results: Our results revealed that US irradiation alone had negligible effects on LLC and HeLa cancer cells. However, both monolayers and spheroids irradiated with US in the presence of the C60-Ber exhibited a significant decrease in viability (32% and 37%) and ATP levels (42% and 64%), along with a notable increase in ROS levels (398% and 396%) and caspase 3/7 activity (437% and 246%), for HeLa monolayers and spheroids, respectively. Similar tendencies were observed with LLC cells. In addition, the anticancer effects of C60-Ber surpassed those of C60, Ber, or their mixture (C60 + Ber) in both cell lines. Conclusions: The detected intensified ROS generation and ATP level drop point to mitochondria dysfunction, while increased caspase 3/7 activity points on the apoptotic pathway induction. The combination of 1 W/cm2 US with C60-Ber showcased a promising platform for synergistic sonodynamic chemotherapy for cancer treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Old Drugs in a New Package: Future of Cancer Nanomedicine)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

52 pages, 4334 KiB  
Review
Therapeutic Strategies to Overcome Fibrotic Barriers to Nanomedicine in the Pancreatic Tumor Microenvironment
by Hiroyoshi Y. Tanaka, Takuya Nakazawa, Atsushi Enomoto, Atsushi Masamune and Mitsunobu R. Kano
Cancers 2023, 15(3), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers15030724 - 24 Jan 2023
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 4283
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer is notorious for its dismal prognosis. The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect theory posits that nanomedicines (therapeutics in the size range of approximately 10–200 nm) selectively accumulate in tumors. Nanomedicine has thus been suggested to be the “magic bullet”—both effective [...] Read more.
Pancreatic cancer is notorious for its dismal prognosis. The enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect theory posits that nanomedicines (therapeutics in the size range of approximately 10–200 nm) selectively accumulate in tumors. Nanomedicine has thus been suggested to be the “magic bullet”—both effective and safe—to treat pancreatic cancer. However, the densely fibrotic tumor microenvironment of pancreatic cancer impedes nanomedicine delivery. The EPR effect is thus insufficient to achieve a significant therapeutic effect. Intratumoral fibrosis is chiefly driven by aberrantly activated fibroblasts and the extracellular matrix (ECM) components secreted. Fibroblast and ECM abnormalities offer various potential targets for therapeutic intervention. In this review, we detail the diverse strategies being tested to overcome the fibrotic barriers to nanomedicine in pancreatic cancer. Strategies that target the fibrotic tissue/process are discussed first, which are followed by strategies to optimize nanomedicine design. We provide an overview of how a deeper understanding, increasingly at single-cell resolution, of fibroblast biology is revealing the complex role of the fibrotic stroma in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis and consider the therapeutic implications. Finally, we discuss critical gaps in our understanding and how we might better formulate strategies to successfully overcome the fibrotic barriers in pancreatic cancer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Old Drugs in a New Package: Future of Cancer Nanomedicine)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop