Development, Therapeutic Evaluation and Theranostic Applications of Cubosomes on Cancers: An Updated Review

Abstract

Cancer is a group of disorders characterized by aberrant gene function and alterations in gene expression patterns. In 2020, it was anticipated that 19 million new cancer cases would be diagnosed globally, with around 10 million cancer deaths. Late diagnosis and interventions are the leading causes of cancer-related mortality. In addition, the absence of comprehensive cancer therapy adds to the burden. Many lyotropic non-lamellar liquid-crystalline-nanoparticle-mediated formulations have been developed in the last few decades, with promising results in drug delivery, therapeutics, and diagnostics. Cubosomes are nano-structured liquid-crystalline particles made of specific amphiphilic lipids in particular proportions. Their ability to encapsulate lipophilic, hydrophilic, and amphiphilic molecules within their structure makes them one of a kind. They are biocompatible, versatile drug carriers that can deliver medications through various routes of administration. Many preclinical studies on the use of cubosomes in cancer treatment and theranostic applications have been conducted. However, before cubosomes may be employed in clinical practice, significant technical advances must be accomplished. This review summarizes the development of cubosomes and their multifunctional role in cancer treatment based on the most recent reports.

Formulation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Doxorubicin-loaded Cubosome as a Cytotoxic Potentiator against HCT-116 Colorectal Cancer Cells

“…28 Because of its advantages, it has been widely used for delivering many cancer drugs. 29 The current research work aimed to develop a cubosome based delivery system. Pluronic F127-based cubosomes were developed.…”

Icariin: A Promising Natural Product in Biomedicine and Tissue Engineering

“…ICRN (C 33 H 40 O 15 , M w = 676.67) is a type of prenylated flavonoid, showing extensive bioactivities such as antioxidant [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 ], neuroprotective [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 ], and antitumor [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 ] behavior as well as anti-inflammatory responses [ 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 , 68 ], and can be used to treat erectile dysfunction [ 69 , 70 , 71 , 72 ]. It appears it can improve the function of organs including bones and the heart [ 73 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 86 ].…”

Nano- and Crystal Engineering Approaches in the Development of Therapeutic Agents for Neoplastic Diseases

“…Therefore, nanosystems were found to reduce toxic effects brought by antineoplastic agents [29]. These systems are able to identify the target tissue [30], due to surface coating, labeling, or modifications, enhancing selective uptake of the drug by target tissue [31]. With decreased size and increased surface area-to-volume ratio while still maintaining the structure of the nanocrystals [32], nano co-crystals enable further increase in drug dissolution by combining the advantages of co-crystals with those of nanocrystals.…”

“…The ability of crystalline formulations to improve drugs' physicochemical properties such as drug solubility and stability [33], combined with the ability of nanocrystalline formulations to target neoplastic tissue [30,31], make co-crystallization and nanonization ideal strategies to improve the antineoplastic activity of cancer drugs and make cancer treatments effective.…”