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Global Translational Medicine Nanoparticles in cancer treatment

likely to be cleared from circulation by phagocytes . On efflux pumps [1,25] . Besides, in the case of poorly soluble
[11]
the other hand, NPs smaller than 10 nm in diameter can compounds, NPs can be used to coat the drugs and directly
be readily filtered by kidneys, while tiny NPs measuring deliver them to the targeted tissue through circulation [26,27] .
<1 – 2 nm can rapidly leak from the normal vasculature to NPs are generally categorized into lipid-based
the damaged normal cells . In addition, the NP’s surface NPs (LNPs) and polymer-based NPs. LNPs, such as
[12]
material affects the bioavailability and half-life of the liposomes or solid core lipid NPs (SLNPs), possess unique
drug. For example, enclosing the NPs with a hydrophilic characteristics that make them noteworthy candidates
substance such as polyethylene glycol has been reported to as carriers with excellent biocompatibility for drugs and
reduce their opsonization, prolong their circulation time, food applications. These LNPs, composed of uniform lipid
and prevent their removal by the immune system, which bilayers or solid cores, can encapsulate a wide range of
consequently promotes their absorption and accumulation cytotoxic drugs. While hydrophilic drugs can be trapped
within the tumor cells [13-15] . Furthermore, the elasticity of in the aqueous region, lipophilic drugs are captured in
NPs has been shown to offer potential benefits . In vivo the lipid leaflet, allowing them to be safely transported
[16]
studies have demonstrated that softer NPs (10 kPa) exhibit [28,29]
prolonged blood circulation compared to harder NPs to the desired tumor site . Polymer NPs, conversely,
(3000 kPa). This finding adds further advantages to the offer greater stability and ease of production, along with
application of NDDSs. more convenient surface modification options, compared
to LNPs . In general, polymer NPs can be categorized
[30]
2. NPs as a new cancer treatment into nanospheres and nano/microcapsules. Nanospheres,
known as “matrix type,” are dissolved throughout the
Cancer is the second leading cause of death, according to matrix, while microcapsules, referred to as “repository
the World Health Organization. Although therapies such type,” have a polymer shell surrounding a core .
[29]
as chemotherapy are developed to be commonly used Polymer micelles represent another class of nano-colloid
against cancer, their lack of specificity in distinguishing polymers shaped by the self-assembly of amphiphilic block
between cancerous and healthy cells, as well as the copolymers in an aqueous solution, making them suitable
challenge of multidrug resistance, pose significant for intravenous injection and insensitive to dilution,
obstacles. Moreover, these treatments often leave behind thereby leading to enhanced circulation times [31,32] . It
serious side effects, including hair loss and bone marrow is noteworthy to mention that a newly devised carrier
suppression . Hence, the discovery of more accurate system, known as lipid polymer hybrid NPs (LPNs), has
[17]
and target-specific drugs to address tumor cells has been developed to overcome the low encapsulation rate of
recently garnered increased attention. The advancement of polymer NPs and decrease the immune response triggered
nanotechnology has provided a great opportunity to study by polymer NPs, providing enhanced physical stability and
and develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools more safely biocompatibility [27,33] .
and efficiently . One such advancement is NDDSs, which
[10]
offer numerous advantages, including reduced side effects The application of silk fibronectin-based NPs combined
and drug-resistance escape, improved pharmacokinetics, with indocyanine green (ICG) for photothermal therapy of
and accurate targeting of tumor cells [18,19] . glioblastoma cells has been reported, and the use of these
NPs, known as ICG-SFNPs, led to a complete inhibition in
Drug resistance is one of the major challenges in cancer [34]
treatment, occurring when cancer becomes tolerant the growth of glioblastoma cells . In another study, tumor
tissues treated with the synthetic polymeric NP drug called
to pharmaceutical treatments. Nevertheless, NPs offer “Dendrimer” demonstrated a significant delay in the growth
a potential solution to overcome cancer-related drug of epithelial xenograft cancer compared to chemotherapy-
resistance. For instance, NPs have been shown to efficiently treated tumor tissues . Besides, the incorporation of
[35]
bypass efflux transporters , such as the P-glycoprotein
[20]
(P-gp) transporter, which belongs to the family of ATP- doxorubicin and idarubicin using SLNs yielded positive
[36]
binding cassette transporters that pump drugs out of the results in a murine leukemia mouse model .
cells. P-gp has been shown to be overexpressed in drug- Recently, gold NPs (GNPs) have gained extensive
resistant tumor cells [21,22] , resulting in inadequate treatment attention in cancer treatment due to their remarkable
response in ovarian and breast cancer due to its biocompatibility and potential applications in ultrasound-
[23]
[24]
ability to pump drugs out of the cells and reduce their mediated drug delivery and photothermal therapy.
concentration. However, NPs are taken up by endocytosis Hornsby et al. investigated doxorubicin and curcumin
instead of diffusion and can release the drug at the release from the surface of GNPs using two different
perinuclear region of the cytoplasm, which is distant from methods, localized tissue heating water bath and low-
active efflux pumps. Therefore, NPs can effectively evade intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) exposure, in an ex

Volume 2 Issue 2 (2023) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/gtm.0394