Recent Advances in Hydrogel-Based Drug Delivery for Melanoma Cancer Therapy: A Mini Review

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to describe some of the latest advances in using hydrogels for cancer melanoma therapy. Hydrogel formulations of polymeric material from natural or synthetic sources combined with therapeutic agents have gained great attention in the recent years for treating various maladies. These formulations can be categorized according to the strategies that induce cancer cell death in melanoma. First of all, we should note that these formulations can only play a supporting role that releases bioactive agents against cancer cells rather than the main role. This strategy involves delivering the drug via transdermal pathways, resulting in the death of cancerous cells. Another strategy utilizes magnetic gel composites to combat melanoma via hyperthermia therapy. This review discusses both transdermal and hyperthermia therapies and the recent advances that have occurred in the field.

Trehalose inhibits cell proliferation and amplifies long‐term temozolomide‐ and radiation‐induced cytotoxicity in melanoma cells: A role for autophagy and premature senescence

“…Consistently with the approval of trehalose as a GRAS nutrient supplement, no significant cytotoxicity was observed in trehalose‐treated healthy melanocytes. To improve cancer therapy efficacy and decrease systemic side effects, hydrogel‐based platforms to deliver multiple anticancer drugs at the target site are gaining increasing interest (Vishnubhakthula, Elupula, & Durán‐Lara, ). In this line, as we previously demonstrated by using different combined drugs on melanoma cells (Casolaro, Del Bello, & Maellaro, ), acrylic hydrogels could represent a worthwhile delivery system for trehalose + TMZ combined treatment.…”

Improved Anticancer Effect of Magnetite Nanocomposite Formulation of GALLIC Acid (Fe3O4-PEG-GA) Against Lung, Breast and Colon Cancer Cells

“…Significant impact has been made by the application of nanotechnology in medicine for theranostic agents development which can diagnose and cure the diseases simultaneously [ 13 , 14 ]. Variety of nanocarriers have been designed and successfully applied for the delivery of the therapeutic agents such as graphene oxide, polymers-based delivery systems, layered double hydroxides, gold nanoparticles, multifunctional nanoparticles and iron oxide magnetite nanoparticles [ 8 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 ]. Polymer coated iron oxide magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 ) have received much of the attention as the novel cancer therapeutics vectors because of their unique properties such as ease of preparation, easily scalable production, sustained release properties, high encapsulation capacity, biocompatibility with normal cells and tissues, easier surface modification and stable magnetic nature [ 9 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 ].…”

Hydrogels: soft matters in photomedicine

“…Hydrogels have gained considerable importance in the development of new therapeutic systems underlined by their capability to hold a high water content and intrinsic hydrophilicity. 296,297 As we will outline in the following paragraph, they clearly present an emerging material to overcome drug delivery limitations of classical PSs. The use of these hydrogel-based platforms provides the advantage of having small size particles, allowing them to penetrate the tissue to reach the target sites.…”