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Redox-Responsive Drug Delivery Systems: A Chemical Perspective

Heba F Abed1, Waad H Abuwatfa2,3, Ghaleb A Husseini2,3

  • 1Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah P.O. Box 26666, United Arab Emirates.

Nanomaterials (Basel, Switzerland)
|September 23, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Novel redox-responsive drug delivery systems offer a promising cancer treatment approach with targeted delivery and fewer side effects. Further research is needed to advance these systems for clinical cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Biomedical Engineering
  • Nanotechnology
  • Oncology

Background:

  • Cancer poses a significant global health challenge, necessitating innovative treatments beyond conventional therapies with severe side effects.
  • Current cancer treatments often lead to extensive systemic toxicity, highlighting the urgent need for safer and more effective therapeutic strategies.
  • Redox-responsive drug delivery systems (DDSs) represent a promising avenue for cancer therapy, offering enhanced site-specific targeting and reduced off-target effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the tumor microenvironment's physiological and biochemical characteristics that enable redox-responsive drug delivery.
  • To review recent advancements in the chemical composition and design of redox-responsive DDSs for cancer treatment.
  • To identify key redox-responsive chemical entities and their application in various nanocarrier systems.

Main Methods:

  • Review of literature on tumor physiology and biochemistry relevant to redox-responsive DDSs.
  • Analysis of chemical entities utilized in redox-responsive DDSs, including disulfide bonds, diselenide bonds, succinimide-thioether linkages, tetrasulfide bonds, and platin conjugates.
  • Examination of disulfide-containing nanocarriers such as liposomes, polymeric micelles, and nanogels.

Main Results:

  • Tumor-specific redox environments can be exploited for targeted drug release.
  • Disulfide bonds are the most frequently employed redox-responsive element in DDSs.
  • Various nanocarrier platforms (liposomes, micelles, nanogels) incorporating disulfide bonds have been developed.

Conclusions:

  • Redox-responsive DDSs demonstrate significant potential for targeted cancer therapy with improved efficacy and reduced toxicity.
  • Further research and development are crucial to translate these advanced drug delivery systems into clinical applications for cancer treatment.
  • The reviewed chemical entities and nanocarrier designs provide a foundation for future innovation in oncology drug delivery.
Keywords:
bondsdrug delivery systemslinkersredox-responsivereducing

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