Overcoming the stability, toxicity, and biodegradation challenges of tumor stimuli-responsive inorganic nanoparticles for delivery of cancer therapeutics

Abstract

Introduction: Stimuli-responsive nanomaterials for cancer therapy have attracted much interest recently due to their potential for improving the current standard of care. Different types of inorganic nanoparticles are widely employed for the development of these strategies, but in some cases safety concerns hinder their clinical translation. This review aims to provide an overview of the challenges that inorganic nanoparticles face regarding their stability, toxicity and biodegradability, as well as the strategies that have been proposed to overcome them. Areas covered: The available information about the in vitro and in vivo biocompatibility, as well as the biodegradability of the following nanoparticles is presented and discussed: superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, graphene and mesoporous nanoparticles made of silicon or silicon oxide. The toxicology of inorganic nanoparticles is greatly affected by many physicochemical parameters, and their surface modification emerges as the main intervention to improve their biocompatibility and tailor their performance for specific biomedical applications. Expert opinion: Even though many different studies have been performed regarding the biological behavior of inorganic nanoparticles, long-term in vivo data is still scarce, limiting our capacity to evaluate the proposed nanomaterials for clinical use. The role of biodegradability in different therapeutic contexts is also discussed.

Biodegradable Silica‐Based Nanoparticles with Improved and Safe Delivery of Protoporphyrin IX for the In Vivo Photodynamic Therapy of Breast Cancer

“…[9,10] Moreover, by rendering stimuli-responsive properties to the silsesquioxane monomer, an increase in the biodegradability of the polymeric nanostructure can be expected. [7][8][9]11] PSilQ NPs have been previously used for the efficient delivery of chemotherapeutic agents, photosensitizers (PSs), nucleic acids, and contrast imaging agents. [12][13][14][15] The PSilQ nanoplatform provides similar advantages as the other silica-based nanomaterials, but with the additional benefit of having both a high content of organic functionalities in the matrix and controlled degradability.…”

Biological Evaluation of Black Chokeberry Extract Free and Embedded in Two Mesoporous Silica-Type Matrices

“…Based on their shape, they are rapidly internalized by cells and tissues. As a consequence, MSNs have been found to be good hosts for drugs, not only in cancer treatment [8][9][10][11][12] but also in anti-biotherapy as they can improve antibiotic release kinetics, thus increasing patients' adherence and decreasing the risk of developing resistance [7,[13][14][15][16].…”

Black phosphorus-based 2D materials for bone therapy

“…Without doubt, gold nanoparticles [ 53 ] and other emerging Xenes [ 54 ], are wildly employed in photothermal anti-tumor therapy [ 55 ], due to their NIR light response characteristics, ease of fabrication, and tunability in optical properties [ 56 ], but their wild applications are subject to serious limitations such as a weak photothermal conversion efficient, relatively low biosafety and biodegradability, difficulty in metabolizing out of the human body, undegradability, and cytotoxicity [ 56 , 57 ]. However, unlike gold nanoparticles, which have safety concerns that can induce toxicity to cells directly, lead to vascular obstruction resulting from long-term potential nanoparticle aggregation, and cause to immune rejection [ 58 , 59 ], BP is composited by the phosphorus element alone which accounts for up to 1% in the body [ 60 ]. Therefore, it has better biocompatibility and biodegradability, and the degradation products will not cause huge damage to the kidneys and liver, which is more suitable for biomedical applications and has more practical value [ 61 , 62 ].…”