Tumor‐Targeted Nanoparticles: State‐of‐the‐Art and Remaining Challenges

Abstract

This chapter discusses the rationale of targeted nanomedicines, different approaches to achieve this goal, current challenges, and considerations for their future development. Here, nanomedicines refer to particulate materials with a diameter in nanometer scale, prepared with natural or synthetic polymers, lipids, or inorganic solids, in the form of polymer‐drug conjugates, liposomes, polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) or micelles, dendrimers, nanotubes, nanocrystals, nanorods, nanoshells, or nanocages. Nanomedicines used as a carrier of a drug are often called nanocarriers. Nanoparticles and nanocarriers are also interchangeably used. Throughout this chapter, the term “nanoparticles” will represent various types of nanocarriers.

Noninvasive Biomarkers of Colorectal Cancer: Role in Diagnosis and Personalised Treatment Perspectives

“…Further improvements to NPs include linking polyethylene glycol (PEG) molecules to its surface (to avoid passive extravasation and to increase their half-life in the circulation [ 168 – 180 ]) and the optimization of functionalization protocols that otherwise tend to generate agglomeration and agglutination of NPs [ 181 , 182 ]. Finally, the addition of specific fragments capable of recognizing particular cell surfaces allows the NPs to transfer, accumulate, and promote the internalization of NP in a specific manner by tumor cells [ 183 , 184 ].…”

“…However, this method is undergoing several improvements thanks to the use of magnetic nanobioconjugates as a contrast medium (magnetic particle imaging (MPI)), which help to increase the specificity and sensitivity of detection [ 174 ]. Among the NPs used effectively in these imaging techniques, we include iron oxide and nanobioconjugates constituted by liposomes, micelles, and dendrimers carrying paramagnetic ions [ 183 , 186 ]. In addition, NPs have been used in a new noninvasive imaging technique (not employing ionizing radiation) defined as photoacoustic tomography, which combines ultrasound with the optical contrast provided by nanocages, carbon nanotubes, and gold speckled silica particles [ 187 , 188 ].…”

Ex-vivo model of colon cancer in normothermic conditions: Applications in nanomedicine

“…Over time, nanotechnology has proven its applicability and the potential it has in improving diagnosis and treatment of malignant tumors (Bajaj and Yeo 2013). Thus, due to their specific physical properties, once they get into the tumoral tissue, nanobioconjugate could facilitate early diagnosis, even in the early stage of molecular damage (Karmakar et al 2012;Rees and Moghimi 2012;Soster et al 2012;Laroui et al 2013;Roy et al 2015).…”

“…Thus, in vitro experiments are carried out on tumor cell populations usually grown in two-dimensional layer, much different from the tumors structure in humans: three-dimensional cell structure with the presence of a extracellular matrix (EMC). When we talk about in vivo models, usually the allograft or human xenograft mouse models, experiments are limited by the size and the rate of tumor growth, by the different peritumoral vascular structures, with an maybe different ''enhanced permeability and retention effect'', by the immunosuppression effects (mandatory for these models) and by the uncertainty presence of genetic and epigenetic changes induced by neoplasia (Bajaj and Yeo 2013). Therefore, ex vivo models are particularly important in research, providing the most similar conditions to natural ones.…”

“…Downloaded by [University of Nebraska, Lincoln] at 01:15 03 October 2015distribution of nanobioconjugates(Bajaj and Yeo 2013;Bertrand et al 2013), due to the enhanced permeation and retention effect (EPR).…”