Long‐Circulating and Passively Tumor‐Targeted Polymer‐Drug Conjugates Improve the Efficacy and Reduce the Toxicity of Radiochemotherapy

Nanomedicine on the move: from monotherapeutic regimens to combination therapies

“…Davies and coworkers confirmed this notion, showing not only that Doxil is more effective than free doxorubicin when combined with singledose (8 Gy) and with fractionated (3 × 3.6 Gy) radiotherapy, but also that radiotherapy improves the tumor accumulation and the intratumoral distribution of Doxil [13]. Li and colleagues reported similar findings for poly(glutamic acid)-bound paclitaxel (i.e., Opaxio™; Cell Therapeutics Inc.) [14], and also several of our own studies focusing on poly(N-[2-hydroxypropyl]-methacrylamide)-bound doxorubicin and gemcitabine convincingly showed that radio therapy and carrier-based chemotherapy interact synergistically, with radiotherapy improving the tumor accumulation of nanomedicine formulations, and with nano medicine formulations improving both the efficacy and the toxicity of clinically relevant regimens of radiochemotherapy [15][16][17][18]. For Xyotax, early-stage clinical trials have convincingly confirmed the potential of 'carrierbased radiochemotherapy', resulting in four complete and seven partial responses (with reductions in tumor volume of >50%) in 12 patients suffering from advanced esophageal and gastric cancer [19].…”