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Tumour-targeted drug and gene delivery: principles and concepts

Jim Cassidy1, Andreas G Schätzlein

  • 1Centre for Oncology and Applied Pharmacology, Cancer Research UK Beatson Laboratories, Division of Cancer Sciences and Molecular Pathology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G61 1BD, UK. J.Cassidy@beatson.gla.ac.uk

Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine
|September 25, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Tumour targeting delivery systems, including drug conjugates and carrier-based systems, aim to maximize drug exposure in cancer cells while minimizing toxicity in healthy tissues. Matching delivery systems to drug requirements is crucial due to tumor heterogeneity and physical barriers.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Nanotechnology
  • Drug Delivery

Background:

  • Tumor targeting strategies aim to enhance drug efficacy and reduce side effects by exploiting differences between cancer and normal cells.
  • Two main categories exist: drug conjugate systems and carrier-based systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide an overview of the concepts and principles guiding the development of tumor-targeting delivery systems.
  • To highlight the challenges and considerations in designing effective tumor-targeting strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature on drug conjugate and carrier-based delivery systems.
  • Analysis of the principles behind achieving dose differentials between tumor and normal tissues.
  • Discussion of the impact of the tumor microenvironment on drug transport.

Main Results:

  • Drug conjugate systems involve chemically modifying drugs for direct tumor targeting.
  • Carrier-based systems package drugs into carriers for targeted delivery.
  • No single common feature allows unambiguous tumor targeting due to cellular heterogeneity.
  • Tumor microenvironment poses physical barriers that impede drug transport.

Conclusions:

  • Effective tumor targeting requires maximizing drug exposure in cancer cells and minimizing off-target toxicity.
  • Matching drug delivery requirements with system capabilities is essential.
  • Further development is needed to overcome tumor heterogeneity and microenvironmental barriers for improved therapeutic outcomes.

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