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Published on: August 2, 2016
Drug delivery methods for cancer immunotherapy
Edgar Pérez-Herrero1,2, Olivia L Lanier3, Neha Krishnan3
1Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Tecnología Farmacéutica, Universidad de La Laguna, La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain. eperezhe@ull.edu.es.
Abstract:
Despite the fact that numerous immunotherapy-based drugs have been approved by the FDA for the treatment of primary and metastatic tumors, only a small proportion of the population can benefit from them because of primary and acquired resistances. Moreover, the translation of immunotherapy from the bench to the clinical practice is being challenging because of the short half-lives of the involved molecules, the difficulties to accomplish their delivery to the target sites, and some serious adverse effects that are being associated with these approaches. The emergence of drug delivery vehicles in the field of immunotherapy is helping to overcome these difficulties and limitations and this review describes how, providing some illustrative examples. Moreover, this article provides an exhaustive review of the studies that have been published to date on the particular case of hematological cancers. (Created with BioRender).
Insights
Drug delivery vehicles enhance immunotherapy efficacy for cancers, overcoming resistance and improving treatment. This review focuses on hematological cancers, highlighting advancements in overcoming immunotherapy challenges.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Immunology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Immunotherapy drugs face challenges like resistance, short half-lives, and delivery issues.
- Current immunotherapies benefit only a limited patient population.
- Adverse effects are a significant concern in immunotherapy treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of drug delivery vehicles in overcoming immunotherapy limitations.
- To provide an exhaustive overview of drug delivery applications in hematological cancers.
- To illustrate how drug delivery vehicles enhance immunotherapy efficacy.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of published studies on drug delivery vehicles in immunotherapy.
- Focus on applications and advancements in hematological cancer treatment.
- Analysis of case studies and examples of successful drug delivery strategies.
Main Results:
- Drug delivery vehicles show promise in enhancing drug half-life and targeted delivery.
- These vehicles can mitigate resistance and reduce adverse effects associated with immunotherapy.
- Significant progress has been made in applying these technologies to hematological malignancies.
Conclusions:
- Drug delivery vehicles are crucial for advancing immunotherapy, particularly in hematological cancers.
- Overcoming current limitations will broaden patient benefit from immunotherapy.
- Further research into novel drug delivery systems is warranted for improved cancer treatment outcomes.
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