Novel Strategies to Improve the Therapeutic Effects of Natural Anticancer Compounds
A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Biopharmaceutics".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 February 2023) | Viewed by 18015
Special Issue Editors
Interests: molecular pharmacology; drug transporters; drug metabolizing enzymes; pharmacogenetics/pharmacogenomics; clinical pharmacology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
It is my pleasure to invite you to contribute research or review articles to a Special Issue entitled “Novel Strategies to Improve the Therapeutic Effects of Natural Anticancer Compounds”. The discovery of cytostatic properties of Vinca alcaloids, taxanes, epipodophyllotoxins, and camptothecin derivatives has revolutionized therapeutic approaches for cancer. Today, in spite of significant advances in cancer therapy related to the application of monoclonal antibodies and specific kinase inhibitors, natural antimitotic inhibitors remain one of the most widely used drugs in oncology. However, a narrow therapeutic index and the multidrug resistance of those chemotherapeutics determine the search for new potential agents or strategies to improve pharmacotherapy outcomes. Intensive research on the anticancer properties of alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, tannins, glycosides, gums, resins, and oils has resulted in the discovery of anticancer properties of many natural compounds, e.g., combretastatin, resveratrol, genistein, curcumin, or berberine. However, in spite of promising experimental results some disadvantages, including poor solubility of hydrophobic compounds, loss of activity at physiological pH, unfavorable pharmacokinetics, or insufficient selectivity against cancer cells have limited their clinical applications.
Thus, new approaches to enhance the bioavailability of natural compounds are needed. Various delivery systems, including liposomes, nanocarriers or biopolymers provide several advantages over traditional formulations: they protect drugs from premature release and degradation, enable a sustained release of therapeutic agents, reduce the need for toxic solvent applications, and allow selective (ligand-dependent) drug transport to cancer cells. Authors are invited to submit papers focused on new strategies for the delivery of natural anticancer compounds (well known or new) contributing to increased anticancer therapy outcomes and decreased side effects.
Prof. Dr. Marek Drozdzik
Dr. Magdalena Peruzynska
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- natural bioactive compounds
- natural anticancer compounds
- plant extracts
- pharmaceutical vehicles
- bioavailability
- biomaterials
- nanotechnology
- biopolymers
- drug release
- drug delivery systems
- in vitro study
- in vivo study
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