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Biomolecules Dec 2021DNA, a natural biological material, has become an ideal choice for biomedical applications, mainly owing to its good biocompatibility, ease of synthesis, modifiability,... (Review)
Review
DNA, a natural biological material, has become an ideal choice for biomedical applications, mainly owing to its good biocompatibility, ease of synthesis, modifiability, and especially programmability. In recent years, with the deepening of the understanding of the physical and chemical properties of DNA and the continuous advancement of DNA synthesis and modification technology, the biomedical applications based on DNA materials have been upgraded to version 2.0: through elaborate design and fabrication of smart-responsive DNA nanodevices, they can respond to external or internal physical or chemical stimuli so as to smartly perform certain specific functions. For tumor treatment, this advancement provides a new way to solve the problems of precise targeting, controllable release, and controllable elimination of drugs to a certain extent. Here, we review the progress of related fields over the past decade, and provide prospects for possible future development directions.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Biosensing Techniques; DNA; Drug Delivery Systems; Humans; Nanostructures; Neoplasms
PubMed: 34944499
DOI: 10.3390/biom11121855 -
Journal of the American Chemical Society Nov 2023Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes form a vast family of molecules characterized by their finely tuned photochemical and photophysical properties. Their ability to... (Review)
Review
Ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes form a vast family of molecules characterized by their finely tuned photochemical and photophysical properties. Their ability to undergo excited-state deactivation via photosubstitution reactions makes them quite unique in inorganic photochemistry. As a consequence, they have been used, in general, for building dynamic molecular systems responsive to light but, more particularly, in the field of oncology, as prodrugs for a new cancer treatment modality called photoactivated chemotherapy (PACT). Indeed, the ability of a coordination bond to be selectively broken under visible light irradiation offers fascinating perspectives in oncology: it is possible to make poorly toxic agents in the dark that become activated toward cancer cell killing by simple visible light irradiation of the compound inside a tumor. In this Perspective, we review the most important concepts behind the PACT idea, the relationship between ruthenium compounds used for PACT and those used for a related phototherapeutic approach called photodynamic therapy (PDT), and we discuss important questions about real-life applications of PACT in the clinic. We conclude this Perspective with important challenges in the field and an outlook.
Topics: Humans; Ruthenium; Coordination Complexes; Photochemotherapy; Light; Neoplasms; Antineoplastic Agents; Photosensitizing Agents
PubMed: 37846939
DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c01135 -
Current Opinion in Chemical Biology Apr 2023The rise of supramolecular chemistry offers new tools to design therapeutics and delivery platforms for biomedical applications. This review aims to highlight the recent... (Review)
Review
The rise of supramolecular chemistry offers new tools to design therapeutics and delivery platforms for biomedical applications. This review aims to highlight the recent developments that harness host-guest interactions and self-assembly to design novel supramolecular Pt complexes as anticancer agents and drug delivery systems. These complexes range from small host-guest structures to large metallosupramolecules and nanoparticles. These supramolecular complexes integrate the biological properties of Pt compounds and novel supramolecular structures, which inspires new designs of anticancer approaches that overcome problems in conventional Pt drugs. Based on the differences in Pt cores and supramolecular structures, this review focuses on five different types of supramolecular Pt complexes, and they include host-guest complexes of the FDA-approved Pt(II) drugs, supramolecular complexes of nonclassical Pt(II) metallodrugs, supramolecular complexes of fatty acid-like Pt(IV) prodrugs, self-assembled nanotherapeutics of Pt(IV) prodrugs, and self-assembled Pt-based metallosupramolecules.
Topics: Humans; Prodrugs; Platinum; Drug Delivery Systems; Antineoplastic Agents; Neoplasms
PubMed: 36878171
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102276 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Feb 2020Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide [...].
Cancer is one of the major causes of death worldwide [...].
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Biological Products; Humans; Neoplasms
PubMed: 32028725
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25030650 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2020Through novel methodologies, including both basic and clinical research, progress has been made in the therapy of solid cancer. Recent innovations in anticancer... (Review)
Review
Through novel methodologies, including both basic and clinical research, progress has been made in the therapy of solid cancer. Recent innovations in anticancer therapies, including immune checkpoint inhibitor biologics, therapeutic vaccines, small drugs, and CAR-T cell injections, mark a new epoch in cancer research, already known for faster (epi-)genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics. As the long-sought after personalization of cancer therapies comes to fruition, the need to evaluate all current therapeutic possibilities and select the best for each patient is of paramount importance. This is a novel task for medical care that deserves prominence in therapeutic considerations in the future. This is because cancer is a complex genetic disease. In its deadly form, metastatic cancer, it includes altered genes (and their regulators) that encode ten hallmarks of cancer-independent growth, dodging apoptosis, immortalization, multidrug resistance, neovascularization, invasiveness, genome instability, inflammation, deregulation of metabolism, and avoidance of destruction by the immune system. These factors have been known targets for many anticancer drugs and treatments, and their modulation is a therapeutic goal, with the hope of rendering solid cancer a chronic rather than deadly disease. In this article, the current therapeutic arsenal against cancers is reviewed with a focus on immunotherapies.
Topics: Animals; Antineoplastic Agents; Biomarkers, Tumor; Combined Modality Therapy; Disease Susceptibility; Epigenesis, Genetic; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Models, Biological; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Neoplasm Staging; Neoplasms; Neoplastic Stem Cells; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 33297561
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235776 -
Current Opinion in Chemical Biology Jun 2023The relatively low success rate of cancer nanomedicines has raised debate on the roles of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect in enhancing drug delivery... (Review)
Review
The relatively low success rate of cancer nanomedicines has raised debate on the roles of the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect in enhancing drug delivery to tumors and improving therapeutic efficacy. In this review, we highlight new strategies beyond the EPR effect for enhancing nanoparticle delivery to tumors. We discuss the roles of transcellular extravasation, receptor-mediated pathways, and protein corona interactions on nanoparticle deposition in tumors. We summarize recent progress in platinum-based combination nanomedicines containing multiple chemotherapeutics with synergistic anticancer mechanisms and multiple anticancer therapies with novel mechanisms to enhance drug delivery and antitumor activities. We also highlight future opportunities in platinum-based combination nanomedicines and key hurdles for the translation of these combination nanomedicines into the clinic.
Topics: Humans; Antineoplastic Agents; Nanomedicine; Neoplasms; Drug Delivery Systems; Nanoparticles
PubMed: 36989943
DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2023.102290 -
Marine Drugs Jun 2022Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Anticancer drugs aim to block tumor growth by killing cancerous cells in order to prevent tumor progression and... (Review)
Review
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death globally. Anticancer drugs aim to block tumor growth by killing cancerous cells in order to prevent tumor progression and metastasis. Efficient anticancer drugs should also minimize general toxicity towards organs and healthy cells. Tumor growth can also be successfully restrained by targeting and modulating immune response. Cancer immunotherapy is assuming a growing relevance in the fight against cancer and has recently aroused much interest for its wider safety and the capability to complement conventional chemotherapeutic approaches. Natural products are a traditional source of molecules with relevant potential in the pharmacological field. The huge structural diversity of metabolites with low molecular weight (small molecules) from terrestrial and marine organisms has provided lead compounds for the discovery of many modern anticancer drugs. Many natural products combine chemo-protective and immunomodulant activity, thus offering the potential to be used alone or in association with conventional cancer therapy. In this review, we report the natural products known to possess antitumor properties by interaction with immune system, as well as discuss the possible immunomodulatory mechanisms of these molecules.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Aquatic Organisms; Biological Products; Humans; Immunity; Neoplasms
PubMed: 35736189
DOI: 10.3390/md20060386 -
Biosensors Nov 2019Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a fundamental tool when administering drugs that have a limited dosage or high toxicity, which could endanger the lives of patients.... (Review)
Review
Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is a fundamental tool when administering drugs that have a limited dosage or high toxicity, which could endanger the lives of patients. To carry out this monitoring, one can use different biological fluids, including blood, plasma, serum, and urine, among others. The help of specialized methodologies for TDM will allow for the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic analysis of drugs and help adjust the dose before or during their administration. Techniques that are more versatile and label free for the rapid quantification of drugs employ biosensors, devices that consist of one element for biological recognition coupled to a signal transducer. Among biosensors are those of the optical biosensor type, which have been used for the quantification of different molecules of clinical interest, such as antibiotics, anticonvulsants, anti-cancer drugs, and heart failure. This review presents an overview of TDM at the global level considering various aspects and clinical applications. In addition, we review the contributions of optical biosensors to TDM.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Biosensing Techniques; Drug Monitoring; Humans; Microscopy
PubMed: 31718050
DOI: 10.3390/bios9040132 -
Trends in Biotechnology Sep 2019The integration of multiple imaging and therapeutic agents into a customizable nanoplatform for accurate identification and rapid prevention of cancer is attracting... (Review)
Review
The integration of multiple imaging and therapeutic agents into a customizable nanoplatform for accurate identification and rapid prevention of cancer is attracting great attention. Among the available theranostic nanosystems, magnetic gold nanoparticles are particularly promising as they exhibit unique physicochemical properties that can support multiple functions, including cancer diagnosis by magnetic resonance imaging, X-ray computed tomography, Raman and photoacoustic imaging, drug delivery, and plasmonic photothermal and photodynamic therapies. This review gives an overview of recent advances in the fabrication of multifunctional gold nanohybrids with magnetic and optical properties and their successful demonstration in multimodal imaging and therapy of cancer. Concerns around toxicity of these nanomaterials are also discussed in view of an imminent transition to clinical practice.
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Gold; Humans; Metal Nanoparticles; Neoplasms
PubMed: 30862388
DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.02.005 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Mar 2021It has been an absolute pleasure to be the guest editor of this Special Issue! As the title indicates, the topic is on the advances made against cancer [...].
It has been an absolute pleasure to be the guest editor of this Special Issue! As the title indicates, the topic is on the advances made against cancer [...].
Topics: Antineoplastic Agents; Drug Discovery; Humans; Neoplasms
PubMed: 33804936
DOI: 10.3390/molecules26071821