Submit to Pharmaceutics Review for Pharmaceutics Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Functional Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cancer Therapy

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Pharmaceutics (ISSN 1999-4923). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanomedicine and Nanotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2022) | Viewed by 11342

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Carmo Pereira

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

1. LEPABE–Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, R. Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
2. ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: novel nanoengineered biomaterials for therapeutic applications; fluorinated peptide and active molecule interactions with surfaces and lipid model membranes; design of inhibitors of Alzheimer's fibrillogenesis; antibody-directed nanocarriers for Alzheimer’s disease; electrochemical immunosensors for detection of degenerative disease biomarkers; air pollutants/exposure risk assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Maria João Ramalho

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
Interests: drug delivery; targeted therapy; brain delivery; brain cancer; glioblastoma; cancer therapy; neurodegenerative disease therapy; biophysical models; drug–membrane interactions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer is the second most common cause of death worldwide, and despite advances in medicine, the success of treatment strategies is largely hindered as a result of the high toxicity and poor bioavailability of chemotherapeutic drugs. The use of nanostructured materials has been attracting great attention in the cancer research field. Nanoparticles can be produced using a wide range on nanomaterials, from polymers, lipids and metals. These nanoparticles have been widely used as drug/gene delivery systems and for photothermal/photodynamic therapies. The modification of nanoparticle surfaces with targeting moieties has paved the way for the development of functional nanoparticles with the ability to enhance therapeutic efficiency by improving interactions with biological materials, permeation across biological barriers, and accumulation in target tissues. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the recent trends and advances in research on cancer therapies using functional nanoparticles with the ability to enhance the anticancer therapeutic potential.

Prof. Dr. Maria Carmo Pereira
Dr. Maria João Ramalho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmaceutics is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

drug delivery
targeted delivery
nanocarriers
nanomedicine
polymer-based nanoparticles
cancer therapy
tumor therapy
surface functionalization
biological barriers
photothermal therapy
photodynamic therapy

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

20 pages, 4418 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Selective Anticancer Therapy Based on a HA-CD44 Interaction Inhibitor Loaded on Polymeric Nanoparticles

by José M. Espejo-Román, Belén Rubio-Ruiz, Victoria Cano-Cortés, Olga Cruz-López, Saúl Gonzalez-Resines, Carmen Domene, Ana Conejo-García and Rosario M. Sánchez-Martín

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(4), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14040788 - 04 Apr 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3298

Abstract

Hyaluronic acid (HA), through its interactions with the cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), acts as a potent modulator of the tumor microenvironment, creating a wide range of extracellular stimuli for tumor growth, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. An innovative antitumor treatment strategy based on the development of a nanodevice for selective release of an inhibitor of the HA-CD44 interaction is presented. Computational analysis was performed to evaluate the interaction of the designed tetrahydroisoquinoline-ketone derivative (JE22) with CD44 binding site. Cell viability, efficiency, and selectivity of drug release under acidic conditions together with CD44 binding capacity, effect on cell migration, and apoptotic activity were successfully evaluated. Remarkably, the conjugation of this CD44 inhibitor to the nanodevice generated a reduction of the dosis required to achieve a significant therapeutic effect. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cancer Therapy)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 2295 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Targeted RNAi of BIRC5/Survivin Using Antibody-Conjugated Poly(Propylene Imine)-Based Polyplexes Inhibits Growth of PSCA-Positive Tumors

by Willi Jugel, Achim Aigner, Susanne Michen, Alexander Hagstotz, Alexander Ewe, Dietmar Appelhans, Gabriele Schackert, Achim Temme and Stefanie Tietze

Pharmaceutics 2021, 13(5), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics13050676 - 08 May 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2414

Abstract

Delivery of siRNAs for the treatment of tumors critically depends on the development of efficient nucleic acid carrier systems. The complexation of dendritic polymers (dendrimers) results in nanoparticles, called dendriplexes, that protect siRNA from degradation and mediate non-specific cellular uptake of siRNA. However, large siRNA doses are required for in vivo use due to accumulation of the nanoparticles in sinks such as the lung, liver, and spleen. This suggests the exploration of targeted nanoparticles for enhancing tumor cell specificity and achieving higher siRNA levels in tumors. In this work, we report on the targeted delivery of a therapeutic siRNA specific for BIRC5/Survivin in vitro and in vivo to tumor cells expressing the surface marker prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA). For this, polyplexes consisting of single-chain antibody fragments specific for PSCA conjugated to siRNA/maltose-modified poly(propylene imine) dendriplexes were used. These polyplexes were endocytosed by PSCA-positive 293T^PSCA/ffLuc and PC3^PSCA cells and caused knockdown of reporter gene firefly luciferase and Survivin expression, respectively. In a therapeutic study in PC3^PSCA xenograft-bearing mice, significant anti-tumor effects were observed upon systemic administration of the targeted polyplexes. This indicates superior anti-tumor efficacy when employing targeted delivery of Survivin-specific siRNA, based on the additive effects of siRNA-mediated Survivin knockdown in combination with scFv-mediated PSCA inhibition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cancer Therapy)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 3423 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Transferrin Receptor-Targeted Nanocarriers: Overcoming Barriers to Treat Glioblastoma

by Maria João Ramalho, Joana Angélica Loureiro, Manuel A. N. Coelho and Maria Carmo Pereira

Pharmaceutics 2022, 14(2), 279; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics14020279 - 25 Jan 2022

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 4441

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and lethal type of brain tumor, and the clinically available approaches for its treatment are not curative. Despite the intensive research, biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier (BBB) and tumor cell membranes are major obstacles to developing novel effective therapies. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been explored as drug delivery systems (DDS) to improve GBM therapeutic strategies. NPs can circumvent many of the biological barriers posed by this devastating disease, enhancing drug accumulation in the target site. This can be achieved by employing strategies to target the transferrin receptor (TfR), which is heavily distributed in BBB and GBM cells. These targeting strategies comprise the modification of NPs’ surface with various molecules, such as transferrin (Tf), antibodies, and targeting peptides. This review provides an overview and discussion on the recent advances concerning the strategies to target the TfR in the treatment of GBM, as their benefits and limitations. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Functional Nanoparticles for Enhanced Cancer Therapy)

► Show Figures