Nanomedicine in management of hepatocellular carcinoma: Challenges and opportunities

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma is the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. It is characterized by unique features that can be utilized for selective and targeted therapy, which aids in preserving healthy tissues from deteriorating effects of traditional chemotherapeutics. In this minireview, a brief overview of recent drug delivery attempts for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma with the aid of nanomedical structures is presented. The beneficial impact of nanomaterials in terms of prolonged retention in blood and target sites, controlled biodistribution and improved stability of the encapsulated payloads, will be described, together with the possibility of incorporating more than one cargo into the same nanostructure. Incorporation of stimuli-responsive components, decoration with targeting moieties and the use of molecularly targeted drugs for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma are also highlighted.

Preparation of a dual cored hepatoma-specific star glycopolymer nanogel via arm-first ATRP approach

“…[11][12][13] Indeed, it has been reported that star-shaped polymer nanogels prepared by controlled/"living" radical polymerization are, in principle, suitable for delivery of multi-functional molecular cargos (eg, drugs, gene, and imaging agents), controlling cellular uptake, and triggering intracellular release. 14 In addition, star polymer nanogels also exhibit stable physicochemical properties, which are responsible for their prolonged systemic retention.…”

Targeted delivery of microRNA‐199a‐3p using self‐assembled dipeptide nanoparticles efficiently reduces hepatocellular carcinoma in mice

“…Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary liver tumor that causes high mortality and remains a global challenge with the current limited treatments available . HCC is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and accounts for nearly 700,000 deaths worldwide per annum . Current curative therapies such as resection, transplantation, local ablation and transarterial percutaneous chemoembolization have limited efficacy .…”

“…Physical approaches like electroporation have limited use for the functional delivery of miRNAs, while viral vectors despite having high transfection efficiency may be toxic and oncogenic . Non‐viral carriers derived from metals, dendrimers, lipids and polymers have also been tested for miRNA based HCC therapy, but these systems are also associated with low in vivo stability, high drug‐leaching properties, toxicity, and the possibility of undesirable immune responses . Recently, peptide based NPs have gained significant interest, owing to unique features that includes their inherent biocompatibility, biodegradability, ease of synthesis, reduced cost and tunable structures for functionalization.…”

“…(1) HCC is the sixth most commonly diagnosed cancer and accounts for nearly 700,000 deaths worldwide per annum. (2) Current curative therapies such as resection, transplantation, local ablation and transarterial percutaneous chemoembolization have limited efficacy. (3) Therefore, it is imperative to develop novel therapeutic strategies against HCC.…”

Recent developments in the nanostructured materials functionalized with ruthenium complexes for targeted drug delivery to tumors

“…Nanostructured materials of varying compositions play important roles in cancer therapeutics due to their passive tumor targeting property. 26,27 In this context, inorganic metal complexes occupy a pioneer niche as they offer a multipurpose platform for drug design and development, and the nanostructures used in the functionalization of metallodrugs act as transport vehicles to deliver the metallodrugs to the biological target. Nanostructured systems, such as macromolecular systems, carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, metallacages, ceramic materials, liposomes, and lipid nanocapsules, as well as metal and polymeric nanoparticles are commonly used for drug delivery.…”