Advances in drug delivery for post-surgical cancer treatment

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• Surgery is a primary treatment for solid tumors, but local recurrence and metastasis remain significant challenges.
• Residual microscopic disease and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) contribute to high mortality rates and reduced quality of life post-surgery.
• There is an urgent need for innovative methods to eradicate residual disease at the surgical site and prevent metastasis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review advancements in bioengineered drug delivery systems (DDSs) for enhancing surgical treatment of solid tumors.
• To explore the potential of local and systemic controlled DDSs in eliminating residual disease and inhibiting tumor recurrence.
• To discuss the clinical translation opportunities and challenges for these novel DDSs.

Main Methods:

• Survey of recent literature on bioengineered drug delivery systems for cancer therapy.
• Categorization of DDS formulations including implantable wafers, hydrogels, micro/nanoparticles, and cellular particles.
• Analysis of DDS applications in local and systemic controlled release of chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents.

Main Results:

• Drug delivery systems (DDSs) show promise in delivering chemotherapy and immunotherapy agents to target residual tumor cells.
• Various DDS formulations, including hydrogels and nanoparticles, are being developed for localized and systemic cancer treatment post-surgery.
• These systems offer potential for improved efficacy in preventing tumor recurrence and metastasis.

Conclusions:

• Bioengineered drug delivery systems represent a promising frontier in improving surgical outcomes for cancer patients.
• Further research and development are crucial to overcome challenges in the clinical translation of these advanced DDSs.
• Controlled DDSs hold significant potential to minimize the risk of recurrence and metastasis, thereby enhancing patient survival and quality of life.