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Manufacture and Drug Delivery Applications of Silk Nanoparticles
Published on: October 8, 2016
Injectable Nano Drug Delivery Systems for the Treatment of Breast Cancer
Urmila Kafle1, Satish Agrawal1, Alekha K Dash1
1Department of Pharmacy Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Health Professions, Creighton University, 2500 California Plaza, Omaha, NE 68178, USA.
Abstract:
Breast cancer is the most diagnosed type of cancer, with 2.26 million cases and 685,000 deaths recorded in 2020. If left untreated, this deadly disease can metastasize to distant organs, which is the reason behind its incurability and related deaths. Currently, conventional therapies are used to treat breast cancer, but they have numerous shortcomings such as low bioavailability, short circulation time, and off-target toxicity. To address these challenges, nanomedicines are preferred and are being extensively investigated for breast cancer treatment. Nanomedicines are novel drug delivery systems that can improve drug stability, aqueous solubility, blood circulation time, controlled release, and targeted delivery at the tumoral site and enhance therapeutic safety and effectiveness. Nanoparticles (NPs) can be administered through different routes. Although the injectable route is less preferred than the oral route for drug administration, it has its advantages: it helps tailor drugs with targeted moiety, boosts payload, avoids first-pass metabolism, and improves the pharmacokinetic parameters of the active pharmaceutical ingredients. Targeted delivery of nanomedicine, closer to organelles such as the mitochondria and nuclei in breast cancer, reduces the dosage requirements and the toxic effects of chemotherapeutics. This review aims to provide the current status of the recent advances in various injectable nanomedicines for targeted treatment of breast cancer.
Insights
Injectable nanomedicines offer a promising approach to overcome conventional breast cancer treatment limitations. These advanced systems enhance drug delivery, improve effectiveness, and reduce toxicity for targeted cancer therapy.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nanomedicine
- Drug Delivery Systems
Background:
- Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths, with conventional therapies facing challenges like poor bioavailability and off-target toxicity.
- Metastasis of untreated breast cancer to distant organs contributes significantly to its incurability and mortality.
- Nanomedicines are emerging as a superior alternative for breast cancer treatment, offering improved drug stability, solubility, circulation time, and targeted delivery.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advances in injectable nanomedicines for targeted breast cancer treatment.
- To highlight the advantages of nanomedicines in overcoming limitations of conventional therapies.
- To discuss the potential of targeted nanomedicine delivery to organelles like mitochondria and nuclei.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on injectable nanomedicine formulations for breast cancer.
- Analysis of nanomedicine properties including stability, circulation time, and release kinetics.
- Evaluation of targeted delivery strategies and their impact on therapeutic efficacy and safety.
Main Results:
- Injectable nanomedicines demonstrate enhanced drug stability, solubility, and prolonged circulation time.
- Targeted delivery of nanomedicines to tumor sites and intracellular organelles improves efficacy and reduces systemic toxicity.
- Nanoparticle administration via injection offers benefits such as tailored drug targeting and avoidance of first-pass metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Injectable nanomedicines represent a significant advancement in targeted breast cancer therapy.
- These systems offer a promising strategy to improve treatment outcomes and patient safety by enhancing drug delivery and reducing side effects.
- Further research into injectable nanomedicines holds potential for more effective and less toxic breast cancer treatment options.
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