Drug Delivery Strategies for the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer

Abstract

Pancreatic cancer is fast becoming a global menace and it is projected to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2030. Pancreatic adenocarcinomas, which develop in the pancreas’ exocrine region, are the predominant type of pancreatic cancer, representing about 95% of total pancreatic tumors. The malignancy progresses asymptomatically, making early diagnosis difficult. It is characterized by excessive production of fibrotic stroma known as desmoplasia, which aids tumor growth and metastatic spread by remodeling the extracellular matrix and releasing tumor growth factors. For decades, immense efforts have been harnessed toward developing more effective drug delivery systems for pancreatic cancer treatment leveraging nanotechnology, immunotherapy, drug conjugates, and combinations of these approaches. However, despite the reported preclinical success of these approaches, no substantial progress has been made clinically and the prognosis for pancreatic cancer is worsening. This review provides insights into challenges associated with the delivery of therapeutics for pancreatic cancer treatment and discusses drug delivery strategies to minimize adverse effects associated with current chemotherapy options and to improve the efficiency of drug treatment.

Design, Synthesis, and Antitumor Evaluation of an Opioid Growth Factor Bioconjugate Targeting Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

“…As demonstrated by recent research, drug–peptide, drug–polymer, and antibody–drug conjugates, owing to their reduced sizes, have the potential to significantly enhance therapy effectiveness in the context of pancreatic cancer. Additionally, understanding the characteristics of pancreatic cancer and drug delivery systems, such as cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) and nanocarriers, opens avenues toward reducing therapy toxicity [ 83 , 84 , 85 ]. Peptides, including OGF, a component of the OGF-Gem conjugate, have the potential to operate within various pH ranges in the tumor microenvironment.…”

Multibarrier-penetrating drug delivery systems for deep tumor therapy based on synergistic penetration strategy

“…The target receptor for iNGR is CD13 (also known as amino peptidase N or APN), a membrane-bound protein that is over expressed on surfaces of various types of cancer cells. 13 CD13 on tumor cell surfaces acts as a tumor-homing receptor by binding to its ligand, the Arg-Gly-Asp motif of the iNGR peptide, resulting in iNGR homing to CD13-positive tumor cell targets. 14 When the annular form of iNGR is introduced into the bloodstream, the peptide specifically and rapidly binds to tumor CD13 molecules to thereby enable the peptide to potently target tumor vessels.…”

Temoporfin-Conjugated PEGylated Poly(N,N-dimethylacrylamide)-Coated Upconversion Colloid for NIR-Induced Photodynamic Therapy of Pancreatic Cancer

“…Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is receiving increasing attention as an alternative minimally invasive therapy for inoperable patients due to its efficacy against chemo- and radioresistant cells. , In addition, PDT has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the oncological treatment of pancreatic, lung, skin, head, neck, and prostate cancers . Treatment consists of the administration and accumulation of a photosensitizing agent in tumors, which, when activated by light, causes the death of tumor cells by generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) .…”