TY - JOUR
T1 - Biological rationale for the design of polymeric anti-cancer nanomedicines
AU - Zhou, Yan
AU - Kopeček, Jindřich
PY - 2013/1
Y1 - 2013/1
N2 - Understanding the biological features of cancer is the basis for designing efficient anti-cancer nanomedicines. On one hand, important therapeutic targets for anti-cancer nanomedicines need to be identified based on cancer biology, to address the unmet medical needs. On the other hand, the unique pathophysiological properties of cancer affect the delivery and interactions of anti-cancer nanomedicines with their therapeutic targets. This review discusses several critical cancer biological properties that challenge the currently available anti-cancer treatments, including cancer heterogeneity and cancer stem cells, the complexcity of tumor microenvironment, and the inevitable cancer metastases. In addition, the biological bases of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and tumor-specific active targeting, as well as the physiological barriers for passive and active targeting of anti-cancer nanomedicines are covered in this review. Correspondingly, possible nanomedicine strategies to target cancer heterogeneity, cancer stem cells and metastases, to overcome the challenges related to tumor passive targeting and tumor penetration, and to improve the interactions of therapeutic payloads with the therapeutic targets are discussed. The focus is mainly on the designs of polymeric anti-cancer nanomedicines.
AB - Understanding the biological features of cancer is the basis for designing efficient anti-cancer nanomedicines. On one hand, important therapeutic targets for anti-cancer nanomedicines need to be identified based on cancer biology, to address the unmet medical needs. On the other hand, the unique pathophysiological properties of cancer affect the delivery and interactions of anti-cancer nanomedicines with their therapeutic targets. This review discusses several critical cancer biological properties that challenge the currently available anti-cancer treatments, including cancer heterogeneity and cancer stem cells, the complexcity of tumor microenvironment, and the inevitable cancer metastases. In addition, the biological bases of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and tumor-specific active targeting, as well as the physiological barriers for passive and active targeting of anti-cancer nanomedicines are covered in this review. Correspondingly, possible nanomedicine strategies to target cancer heterogeneity, cancer stem cells and metastases, to overcome the challenges related to tumor passive targeting and tumor penetration, and to improve the interactions of therapeutic payloads with the therapeutic targets are discussed. The focus is mainly on the designs of polymeric anti-cancer nanomedicines.
KW - Cancer heterogeneity
KW - Cancer stem cells
KW - EPR effect
KW - Metastasis
KW - Nanomedicines
KW - Polymer conjugates
KW - Targeting
KW - Tumor microenvironment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84872036618&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84872036618&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.3109/1061186X.2012.723213
DO - 10.3109/1061186X.2012.723213
M3 - Review article
C2 - 23009337
AN - SCOPUS:84872036618
SN - 1061-186X
VL - 21
SP - 1
EP - 26
JO - Journal of Drug Targeting
JF - Journal of Drug Targeting
IS - 1
ER -