Natural Ingredient-Based Polymeric Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

Abstract

Cancer is a global health challenge. There are drawbacks to conventional chemotherapy such as poor bioavailability, development of drug resistance and severe side effects. Novel drug delivery system may be an alternative to optimize therapeutic effects. When such systems consist of natural materials, they offer important advantages: they are usually highly biocompatible, biodegradable, nontoxic and nonimmunogenic. Furthermore, natural materials can be easily modified for conjugation with a wide range of therapeutic agents and targeting ligands, according to the therapeutic purpose. This article reviews different natural ingredients and their applications in drug delivery systems for cancer therapy. Firstly, an overview of the polysaccharides and protein-based polymers that have been extensively investigated for drug delivery are described. Secondly, recent advances in using various natural ingredient-based polymeric nanoparticles for cancer therapy are reviewed. The characteristics of these delivery systems are summarized, followed by a discussion of future development and clinical potential. This review aims to summarize current knowledge and provide a basis for developing effective tailor-made formulations for cancer therapy in the future.

Factors Affecting Extracellular Vesicles Based Drug Delivery Systems

“…The formulation of liposomes allows the loading of different types of cargo., For example hydrophilic molecules including DNA, RNA, and siRNA can be encapsulated inside the aqueous core of liposomes, and hydrophobic compounds including peptides, proteins, and antibodies can be encapsulated in the lipid bilayer of liposomes [43]. Liposomes can be produced via various methods, such as sonication, membrane extrusion, freeze-thaw, and micro-emulsification [44,45]; however production can be challenging owing to the need for various chemical treatments. In addition, there are multiple steps involved in the modification of the lipid bilayer of the liposomes by using ligands, proteins and other functional elements [46,47].…”

Importance and Considerations of Antibody Engineering in Antibody-Drug Conjugates Development from a Clinical Pharmacologist’s Perspective

“…Finally, while antibodies are most commonly associated with antigen targeting, ADCs are also being developed to conjugate cytotoxic drugs to tumor-specific receptor ligands. While these targeting modalities are not covered in this review, we point readers to these recently published reviews [191][192][193][194][195].…”

Combining Nanotechnology and Gas Plasma as an Emerging Platform for Cancer Therapy: Mechanism and Therapeutic Implication

“…As an example of polymeric NPs, hyaluronic acid can affect tumor cell proliferation and angiogenesis, while albumin NPs can penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Chitosan NPs, by their unique features, have an essential role in tumor growth inhibition and apoptosis induction [ 74 ].…”