Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2025
Monitoring of Nanodrug Accumulation in Murine Breast Cancer Metastases
Published on: August 23, 2024
Nanotherapeutic Formulations for the Delivery of Cancer Antiangiogenics
Amelia Ultimo1, Ayushi Jain1, Elisabet Gomez-Gonzalez1
1School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2 D02 PN40, Ireland.
Abstract:
Antiangiogenic medications for cancer treatment have generally failed in showing substantial benefits in terms of prolonging life on their own; their effects are noticeable only when combined with chemotherapy. Moreover, treatments based on prolonged antiangiogenics administration have demonstrated to be ineffective in stopping tumor progression. In this scenario, nanotherapeutics can address certain issues linked to existing antiangiogenic treatments. More specifically, they can provide the ability to target the tumor's blood vessels to enhance drug accumulation and manage release, ultimately decreasing undesired side effects. Additionally, they enable the administration of multiple angiogenesis inhibitors at the same time as chemotherapy. Key reports in this field include the design of polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, vesicles, and hydrogels for loading antiangiogenic substances like endostatin and interleukin-12. Furthermore, nanoformulations have been proposed to efficiently control relevant pro-angiogenic pathways such as VEGF, Tie2/Angiopoietin-1, HIF-1α/HIF-2α, and TGF-β, providing powerful approaches to block tumor growth and metastasis. In this article, we outline a selection of nanoformulations for antiangiogenic treatments for cancer that have been developed in the past ten years.
Insights
Nanotherapeutics offer a promising approach to enhance antiangiogenic cancer therapy by targeting tumor blood vessels and improving drug delivery. These nanoformulations can overcome limitations of traditional treatments, potentially blocking tumor growth and metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nanotechnology
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Antiangiogenic drugs alone have limited efficacy in prolonging cancer patient survival.
- Prolonged administration of antiangiogenic agents often fails to halt tumor progression.
- Nanotherapeutics present a novel strategy to improve antiangiogenic cancer treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent advancements in nanoformulations for antiangiogenic cancer therapy.
- To highlight how nanotherapeutics can overcome limitations of conventional antiangiogenic treatments.
- To discuss the potential of nanomedicine in targeting tumor vasculature and controlling angiogenesis.
Main Methods:
- Review of nanoformulations including polymeric nanoparticles, inorganic nanoparticles, vesicles, and hydrogels.
- Discussion of loading antiangiogenic substances like endostatin and interleukin-12.
- Analysis of nanoformulations targeting pro-angiogenic pathways (VEGF, Tie2/Angiopoietin-1, HIF-1α/HIF-2α, TGF-β).
Main Results:
- Nanotherapeutics enable targeted delivery to tumor vasculature, enhancing drug accumulation.
- Nanoformulations facilitate controlled release of antiangiogenic agents, reducing side effects.
- Simultaneous administration of multiple angiogenesis inhibitors with chemotherapy is feasible using nanocarriers.
Conclusions:
- Nanotherapeutics offer significant potential to improve the efficacy of antiangiogenic cancer therapy.
- Targeted delivery and controlled release via nanomedicine can enhance drug accumulation and minimize toxicity.
- Nanoformulations provide innovative strategies to block tumor growth and metastasis by modulating key angiogenic pathways.
More Related Videos
09:02Author Spotlight: Innovative Cancer Therapies with Iron Oxide Nanoparticles for Glioblastoma Treatment
Published on: September 27, 2024
08:52Intravital Microscopy of Tumor-associated Vasculature Using Advanced Dorsal Skinfold Window Chambers on Transgenic Fluorescent Mice
Published on: January 19, 2018
Related Concept Videos
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
01:27Tumor Immunotherapy
01:22Drug Delivery: Miscellaneous Routes
Oral inhalation and nasal sprays swiftly transfer drugs across the respiratory epithelium's mucosal layer. Inhaled glucocorticoids and bronchodilators directly target lung conditions such as asthma, while fluticasone nasal spray mitigates allergic rhinitis.
Transdermal patches transport drugs...
02:49Cancer Therapies
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:10Mechanism of Angiogenesis
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...