Synthetic routes to nanoconjugates of anthracyclines

Anthracyclines (Anth) are widely used in the treatment of various types of cancer. Unfortunately, they exhibit serious adverse effects, such as hematopoietic depression and cardiotoxicity, leading to heart failure. In this review, we focus on recently developed conjugates of anthracyclines with a range of nanocarriers, such as polymers, peptides, DNA or inorganic systems. Manipulation of the composition, size and shape of chemical entities at the nanometer scale makes possible the design and development of a range of prodrugs. In this review we concentrate on synthetic chemistry in the long process leading to the introduction of novel therapeutic products.