Nanocarriers as Magic Bullets in the Treatment of Leukemia

Abstract

Leukemia is a type of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell malignancy characterized by the accumulation of immature cells in the blood and bone marrow. Treatment strategies mainly rely on the administration of chemotherapeutic agents, which, unfortunately, are known for their high toxicity and side effects. The concept of targeted therapy as magic bullet was introduced by Paul Erlich about 100 years ago, to inspire new therapies able to tackle the disadvantages of chemotherapeutic agents. Currently, nanoparticles are considered viable options in the treatment of different types of cancer, including leukemia. The main advantages associated with the use of these nanocarriers summarized as follows: i) they may be designed to target leukemic cells selectively; ii) they invariably enhance bioavailability and blood circulation half-life; iii) their mode of action is expected to reduce side effects. FDA approval of many nanocarriers for treatment of relapsed or refractory leukemia and the desired results extend their application in clinics. In the present review, different types of nanocarriers, their capability in targeting leukemic cells, and the latest preclinical and clinical data are discussed.

Scalable solvent-free production of liposomes

“…Egg phosphatidylcholine (Egg PC), hydrogenated soy phosphatidylcholine (HSPC), 1,2-distearoyl phosphatidylcholine (DSPC), 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phospho-(1 0 -rac-glycerol) (DSPG) and 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine- Table 1 Marketed liposomal products, first approval and expected patent expiry dates [30,31] Brand name Drug Indication . Water was circulated at a temperature above the transition temperature of the phospholipids (70°C) in the heat exchanger to achieve the necessary fluidity of the liposomal bilayer for particle size reduction.…”

Epigenetics in Breast Cancer Therapy—New Strategies and Future Nanomedicine Perspectives

“…Solid Lipid Nanoparticles SLNs ( Figure 2B) consist of a hydrophobic lipid core composed of lipids (e.g., fatty acids, steroids, waxes, or triglycerides) that are in the solid state at room temperature. The lipid core is stabilized by surfactants (emulsifiers) to prevent particle agglomeration [206]. The advantage of SLNs is the easy entrapment of hydrophobic drugs in the lipidic matrix, while the outer hydrophilic shell allows the conjugation of hydrophilic drugs to lipidic components.…”

“…Polymeric micelles ( Figure 2D) are supramolecular delivery systems composed of multiple amphiphilic block copolymers, self-assembling in aqueous environments at a defined concentration [206].…”

“…Nanogels can carry various drugs with low or high molecular weight and either hydrophilic or hydrophobic. The advantages of nanogels include high drug encapsulation capacity, enhanced drug stability, minimal toxicity, biocompatibility, prolonged blood circulation time, and stimulus responsiveness to drug release (pH, magnetic field, light, ionic content, and temperature) [206].…”

Chitosan-covered liposomes as a promising drug transporter: nanoscale investigations

“…1 Thus, liposomes represent promising systems for drug delivery to target the drug to the site of action or improve the circulation time of the drug in vivo, aiming at side effect reduction as well as the optimization of treatments. 2,3 Also, liposomes have been known for their huge potential as drug carriers for a variety of compounds like low molecular weight drugs, therapeutic proteins and peptides, vaccines and diagnostic agents, toxins, enzymes, antigens and antibodies, and nucleotides. [4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13] The liposomes have been introduced in the market as efficient spherical nanovesicles, [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] they are formed by a self-closed phospholipidic bilayer carrying the drug in its aqueous core suspended in water.…”