Nanotechnology Therapeutics in Oncology-Recent Developments and Future Outlook

摘要

Narrow therapeutic index and side effects continue to be a hurdle for pharmacotherapy of cancer. Advances in our knowledge of molecular biology of cancer and pathways involved in malignant transformation of cells are revolutionizing the approach to cancer treatment in terms of the molecules employed. However, targeted drug delivery to tumor tissues remains an elusive challenge, and nanotechnology has been promoted as a promising solution to address this. Several nanoparticulate therapeutics are approved for use (e.g., Abraxane, Doxil), for cancer treatment, and have been on the market for some time. This chapter is intended to survey (i) the advantages that these therapeutics have over conventional therapeutics, (ii) the current development of new improved nanoparticulate therapeutics for cancer, and (iii) an overview of emerging technologies for the development of tumor-targeted nanomedicines.