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Updated: Nov 24, 2025

Polymalic Acid-based Nano Biopolymers for Targeting of Multiple Tumor Markers: An Opportunity for Personalized Medicine?
Published on: June 13, 2014
Evolution from small molecule to nano-drug delivery systems: An emerging approach for cancer therapy of ursolic acid
Jingwei Shao1,2, Yifan Fang1, Ruirui Zhao1
1Cancer Metastasis Alert and Prevention Center, and Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy, College of Chemistry, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350116, China.
Abstract:
Ursolic acid (UA), a natural pentacyclic triterpenoid, possesses widespread biological and pharmacological activities. However, drawbacks such as low bioavailability, poor targeting and rapid metabolism greatly hinder its further clinical application. Recently, with the development of nanotechnology, various UA nanosystems have emerged as promising strategies for effective cancer therapy. This article reviews various types of UA-based nano-delivery systems, primarily with emphasis placed on novel UA-based carrier-free nano-drugs, which are considered to be innovative methods for cancer therapy. Moreover, this review presents carrier-free nano-drugs that co-assembled of UA and photosensitizers that displayed synergistic antitumor performance. Finally, the article also describes the development and challenges of UA nanosystems for future research in this field. Overall, the information presented in this review will provide new insight into the rational utilization of nano-drugs in cancer therapy.
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