Harnessing cells to deliver nanoparticle drugs to treat cancer

Bijay Singh1, Samir Mitragotri2

  • 1School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States; Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology (RIBB), Nakkhu, Lalitpur 44600, Nepal.

Biotechnology Advances
|January 15, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Circulatory cells show promise for cancer therapy, overcoming nanodrug limitations like short half-life and poor tumor targeting. These cells offer enhanced biocompatibility and drug delivery for improved cancer treatment outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Clinical translation of nanodrug delivery systems for cancer is limited by short circulation half-life and poor tumor targeting.
  • Nanodrugs struggle with in vivo tumor penetration and accumulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the progress and potential of using circulatory cells as nanodrug delivery vehicles.
  • To address the challenges in nanodrug delivery for cancer therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing research on nanodrugs and circulatory cell-based delivery.
  • Analysis of the properties of circulatory cells relevant to drug delivery.

Main Results:

  • Circulatory cells offer biocompatibility, high mobility, and biodegradability.
  • These cells demonstrate effective tissue targeting, high drug loading, and ability to cross biological barriers.
  • Circulatory cells possess inherent capabilities for prolonged blood circulation and tumor accumulation.

Conclusions:

  • Circulatory cells represent a promising platform for advancing nanodrug delivery in cancer therapy.
  • Utilizing circulatory cells can overcome key limitations of current nanodrug systems.
  • Further research into cell-based nanodrug delivery holds significant potential for improved cancer treatment.

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