Advances in Receptor-Mediated, Tumor-Targeted Drug Delivery

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Pharmacology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Receptor-mediated drug delivery offers targeted accumulation of therapeutics in desired tissues, reducing off-target toxicity.
• Overexpressed receptors on cancer cells serve as a platform for targeted drug delivery, influencing biodistribution, toxicity, and therapeutic efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review promising tumor-targeted drug delivery vehicles and receptors for clinical translation.
• To outline the engineering principles for targeted drug delivery vehicles, considering ligand, conjugation, and vehicle type.
• To discuss recent advancements in multivalent targeting and ligand organization for enhanced tumor accumulation.

Main Methods:

• Review of quantitative in vitro and in vivo data for tumor-targeted drug delivery systems.
• Analysis of receptor overexpression in cancer as a targeting strategy.
• Evaluation of ligand design, chemical conjugation methods, and drug delivery vehicle types.

Main Results:

• Identification of drug delivery vehicles and receptors with potential for clinical translation.
• Discussion of strategies for engineering targeted delivery systems.
• Highlighting advances in multivalent targeting and ligand organization for improved tumor targeting.

Conclusions:

• Receptor-mediated drug delivery holds significant promise for enhancing cancer therapy.
• This approach can be applied to deliver chemotherapy, gene editing tools, and epigenetic drugs.
• Further development in targeted delivery vehicles and strategies may revolutionize cancer treatment.