Melanoma (MEL) is a less common type of skin cancer, but it is more aggressive with a high mortality rate. The World Cancer Research Fund International (GLOBOCAN 2012) estimates that there were 230,000 new cases of MEL in the world in 2012. Conventional MEL treatment includes surgery and chemotherapy, but many of the chemotherapeutic agents used present undesirable properties. Drug delivery systems are an alternative strategy by which to carry antineoplastic agents. Encapsulated drugs are advantageous due to such properties as high stability, better bioavailability, controlled drug release, a long blood circulation time, selective organ or tissue distribution, a lower total required dose, and minimal toxic side effects. This review of scientific research supports applying a nanotechnology-based drug delivery system for MEL therapy.

Evidence shows beneficial effects of resveratrol (RES) on human health. However, its poor aqueous solubility limits therapeutic effectiveness. Thus, the use of nanostructured delivery systems for RES, such as a liquid-crystalline system (LCS), could be viable. The purpose of this study was to develop, characterize, and determine the in vivo effectiveness of a RES-loaded LCS. We studied an LCS containing silicon glycol copolymer, polyether functional siloxane, and the polymeric dispersion carbomer homopolymer type B (C974) in the ratio 20:55:25 with and without RES. Results obtained using polarized light microscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering, and rheology analysis showed that the RES-loaded LCS system presents a lamellar structure and behaves as a non-Newtonian fluid presenting pseudoplastic (the apparent viscosity decreases as the stress increases) and thixotropic (the apparent viscosity decreases with the duration of stress) behaviors. Cytotoxicity studies showed that the formulation components are noncytotoxic. Topical application of a RES-loaded LCS protected hairless mice from UVB-irradiation-induced skin damage by inhibiting edema, neutrophil recruitment, lipid hydroperoxide and superoxide anion production, gp91phox mRNA expression, and oxidative stress. The RES-loaded LCS maintained 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric reducing abilities, catalase activity, reduced glutathione levels, and mRNA expression of glutathione peroxidase 1 and glutathione reductase. The RES-loaded LCS also up-regulated matrix metalloproteinase-9 activity, IL-10 production, and mRNA expression of transcription factor Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1. Therefore, a RES-loaded LCS is a promising new therapeutic approach to mitigate skin photodamage.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than one billion people suffer from neglected tropical diseases. Leishmaniasis is a widespread disease, affecting 12 million people around the world with about 1-2 million estimated new cases occurring every year. Although pentavalent antimonial drugs are the most frequently prescribed treatments for leishmaniasis, they produce severe side effects, including cardiotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Other compounds, such as amphotericin B, pentamidine and miltefosine, are second choice drugs, but they also produce side effects that can endanger the patient's life. Nowadays, there are two approaches to develop new therapies: one is the search for new drugs and the other is the optimization of actual drug formulation. Traditional drug discovery takes 10 to 12 years in general and involves high costs; around one billion dollars on average to develop a drug. A possibility to improve leishmaniasis treatment would be the application of nanotechnology-drug delivery systems which can enhance the therapeutic potency of existing drugs by optimizing their adsorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion (ADME) and reducing toxicity. In this review we will discuss examples how nanotechnology-drug delivery systems have been used to improve the therapeutic aspects of existing antileishmanial drugs.