Recent advances of drug delivery nanocarriers in osteosarcoma treatment

Abstract

Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignant bone tumor mainly occurred in children and adolescence, and chemotherapy is limited for the side effects and development of drug resistance. Advances in nanotechnology and knowledge of cancer biology have led to significant improvements in developing tumor-targeted drug delivery nanocarriers, and some have even entered clinically application. Delivery of chemotherapeutic agents by functionalized smart nanocarriers could protect the drugs from rapid clearance, prolong the circulating time, and increase the drug concentration at tumor sites, thus enhancing the therapeutic efficacy and reducing side effects. Various drug delivery nanocarriers have been designed and tested for osteosarcoma treatment, but most of them are still at experimental stage, and more further studies are needed before clinical application. In this present review, we briefly describe the types of commonly used nanocarriers in osteosarcoma treatment, and discuss the strategies for osteosarcoma-targeted delivery and controlled release of drugs. The application of nanoparticles in the management of metastatic osteosarcoma is also briefly discussed. The purpose of this article is to present an overview of recent progress of nanoscale drug delivery platforms in osteosarcoma, and inspire new ideas to develop more effective therapeutic options.

A Review of ULK1-Mediated Autophagy in Drug Resistance of Cancer

“…Acquired drug resistance, on the other hand, develops during cancer treatment as an adaptation to selective pressure from the therapeutics. These processes are related to the high expression of therapeutic targets and the activation of compensatory signaling pathways [10][11][12]. Autophagy is a system of self-degradation that is a prevalent element of drug resistance in tumors [13].…”

Combinatorial Nanomedicine Made of Squalenoyl-Gemcitabine and Edelfosine for the Treatment of Osteosarcoma

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Targeting Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Treatment Efficacy and Resistance in Osteosarcoma: A Review of Current and Future Strategies

“…Different types of nanocarriers are currently under investigation for use in osteosarcoma therapy at the preclinical and clinical level, though none have been approved to date. Wang and colleagues have recently published an extensive review on nanocarriers in osteosarcoma drug delivery that we recommend for details [282]. An acidic tumour microenvironment can furthermore reduce activity of cytotoxic drugs [283].…”