Among the several delivery materials available so far, polysaccharides represent very attractive molecules as they can undergo a wide range of chemical modifications, are biocompatible, biodegradable, and have low immunogenic properties. Thus, polysaccharides can contribute to significantly overcome the limitation in the use of many types of drugs, including anti-cancer drugs. The use of conventional anti-cancer drugs is hampered by their high toxicity, mostly depending on the indiscriminate targeting of both cancer and normal cells. Additionally, for nucleic acid based drugs (NABDs), an emerging class of drugs with potential anti-cancer value, the practical use is problematic. This mostly depends on their fast degradation in biological fluids and the difficulties to cross cell membranes. Thus, for both classes of drugs, the development of optimal delivery materials is crucial. Here we discuss the possibility of using different kinds of polysaccharides, such as chitosan, hyaluronic acid, dextran, and pullulan, as smart drug delivery materials. We first describe the main features of polysaccharides, then a general overview about the aspects ruling drug release mechanisms and the pharmacokinetic are reported. Finally, notable examples of polysaccharide-based delivery of conventional anti-cancer drugs and NABDs are reported. Whereas additional research is required, the promising results obtained so far, fully justify further efforts, both in terms of economic support and investigations in the field of polysaccharides as drug delivery materials.

Pre-therapeutic DPYD pharmacogenetic test to prevent fluoropyrimidines (FL)-related toxicities is not yet common practice in medical oncology. We aimed at investigating the clinical validity of DPYD genetic analysis in a large series of oncological patients. Six hundred three cancer patients, treated with FL, have been retrospectively tested for eight DPYD polymorphisms (DPYD-rs3918290, DPYD-rs55886062, DPYD-rs67376798, DPYD-rs2297595, DPYD-rs1801160, DPYD-rs1801158, DPYDrs1801159, DPYD-rs17376848) for association with Grade 3 toxicity, developed within the first three cycles of therapy. DPYD-rs3918290 and DPYD-rs67376798 were associated to Grade 3 toxicity after bootstrap validation and Bonferroni correction (p 5 0.003, p 5 0.048). DPYD-rs55886062 was not significant likely due to its low allelic frequency, nonetheless one out of two heterozygous patients (compound heterozygous with DPYD-rs3918290) died from toxicity after one cycle. Test specificity for the analysis of DPYD-rs3918290, DPYD-rs55886062 and DPYD-rs67376798 was assessed to 99%. Among the seven patients carrying one variant DPYD-rs3918290, DPYD-rs55886062 or DPYD-rs67376798 allele, not developing Grade 3 toxicity, 57% needed a FL dose or schedule modification for moderate chronic toxicity. No other DPYD polymorphism was associated with Grade 3 toxicity. Our data demonstrate the clinical validity and specificity of the DPYD-rs3918290, DPYDrs55886062, DPYD-rs67376798 genotyping test to prevent FL-related Grade 3 toxicity and to preserve treatment compliance, and support its introduction in the clinical practice.The identification of the genetic bases of inter-individual variability in terms of response or toxicity to pharmacological treatments is a key point in the field of personalized therapy. Specifically, in the oncological setting the high variability observed in the tumor response to treatment and in the severity of toxicity emphasizes the importance of improving the knowledge on the clinical validity of the pharmacogenetic tests.Fluoropyrimidines (FL) are listed among the drugs with pharmacogenetic warnings. 1 Despite the acknowledged efficacy of these drugs in the treatment of different solid tumors, 2 the FL treatment remains challenging as a result of a considerable inter-patient variability in terms of efficacy and toxicity. 3,4 The pharmacogenetic research, aimed at defining predictive markers of FL response, mainly focused on the dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase (DPD), which is the first and rate-limiting enzyme of FL catabolic pathway. Up to date, 160 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that alter the DPD aminoacids sequence have been identified within the gene (DPYD) codifying for this enzyme 5,6 and many clinical studies have been trying to investigate their association with FL-related severe toxicities. 3,[7][8][9][10][11] Recently the discussion in the scientific community about the clinical effectiveness of pharmacogenetics has given rise to the publication of drug dosing guidelines with indications and recommendations about drug...

This study showed that ABC/SLC polymorphisms have a crucial contribution toward the FOLFIRI outcome. This could represent a further step toward personalized therapy.

Lack of information on the clinical utility of preemptive DPYD screening before fluoropyrimidine treatment is a major barrier preventing its use in clinical practice. This study aimed to define the association between DPYD variants and fluoropyrimidine-related toxicity management costs. A cost analysis was conducted on the toxicities experienced by 550 patients with colorectal cancer treated with fluoropyrimidine-based chemotherapy. Genotyping for DPYD*2A, DPYD*13, DPYDc. 2846A>T, DPYD-HapB3, and UGT1A1*28 was done retrospectively and did not affect patients' treatments. Carriers of at least one DPYD variant experienced higher toxicity management costs (€2,972; 95% confidence interval (CI), €2,456-€3,505) than noncarriers (€825; 95% CI, €785-€864) (P < 0.0001) and had a higher risk for toxicity requiring hospitalization (odds ratio, 4.14; 95% CI, 1.87-9.14). In patients receiving fluoropyrimidine/irinotecan, the incremental cost between DPYD variant and UGT1A1*28/*28 carriers and noncarriers was €2,975. This study suggests that the toxicity management costs during fluoropyrimidine-based therapy are associated with DPYD and UGT1A1*28 variants and supports the utility of genotyping.