Lipid Nanostructures as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 December 2024 | Viewed by 2614

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cancer constitutes a major cause of death worldwide, and the prevailing pharmacotherapies frequently cause debilitating adverse effects. In recent decades, various therapeutic modalities have emerged to address these issues, including immunotherapy, tailored precision chemotherapy, and nanomedicine. Notably, the utilization of nanostructures has demonstrated considerable potential in enhancing both drug biodistribution and their interactions with target cells, thereby offering prospects for improved outcomes in cancer therapy. Among the myriad of nanostructures proposed in the scientific literature, lipid-based formulations have exhibited superior performance and biocompatibility. Furthermore, the diverse range of human-compatible lipids has empowered researchers to fabricate an expansive repertoire of lipid nanostructures endowed with distinctive attributes, such as sustained drug release and prolonged circulation times. This Special Issue is dedicated to elucidating the latest advancements in lipid nanostructures engineered as drug carriers for cancer therapeutics.

Prof. Dr. Luís Alexandre Muehlmann
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • cancer
  • lipid nanostructures
  • nanomedicine
  • nanotechnology
  • chemotherapy
  • immunotherapy

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 8044 KiB  
Article
Direct and Abscopal Antitumor Responses Elicited by AlPcNE-Mediated Photodynamic Therapy in a Murine Melanoma Model
by José Athayde Vasconcelos Morais, Pedro H. A. Barros, Marcelo de Macedo Brigido, Clara Luna Marina, Anamelia Bocca, André de Lima e Silva Mariano, Paulo E. N. de Souza, Karen L. R. Paiva, Marina Mesquita Simões, Sonia Nair Bao, Luana C. Camargo, João P. Figueiró Longo, Amanda Alencar Cabral Morais, Ricardo B. de Azevedo, Marcio J. P. Fonseca and Luis A. Muehlmann
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(9), 1177; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16091177 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 540
Abstract
Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, presents a major clinical challenge due to its tendency to metastasize and recalcitrance to traditional therapies. Despite advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the outlook for advanced melanoma remains bleak, reinforcing the urgent need for [...] Read more.
Melanoma, the most aggressive form of skin cancer, presents a major clinical challenge due to its tendency to metastasize and recalcitrance to traditional therapies. Despite advances in surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, the outlook for advanced melanoma remains bleak, reinforcing the urgent need for more effective treatments. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has emerged as a promising alternative, leading to targeted tumor destruction with minimal harm to surrounding tissues. In this study, the direct and abscopal antitumor effects of PDT in a bilateral murine melanoma model were evaluated. Although only one of the two tumors was treated, effects were observed in both. Our findings revealed significant changes in systemic inflammation and alterations in CD4+ and CD8+ T cell populations in treated groups, as evidenced by blood analyses and flow cytometry. High-throughput RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) further unveiled shifts in gene expression profiles in both treated and untreated tumors. This research sheds light on the novel antitumor and abscopal effects of nanoemulsion of aluminum chloride phthalocyanine (AlPcNE)-mediated PDT in melanoma, highlighting the potential of different PDT protocols to modulate immune responses and to achieve more effective and targeted cancer treatments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lipid Nanostructures as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy)
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Review

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31 pages, 1659 KiB  
Review
Lipid Nanoparticles in Lung Cancer Therapy
by Hossein Omidian, Erma J. Gill and Luigi X. Cubeddu
Pharmaceutics 2024, 16(5), 644; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmaceutics16050644 - 10 May 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1537
Abstract
This manuscript explores the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in addressing the pivotal challenges of lung cancer treatment, including drug delivery inefficacy and multi-drug resistance. LNPs have significantly advanced targeted therapy by improving the precision and reducing the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutics such [...] Read more.
This manuscript explores the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) in addressing the pivotal challenges of lung cancer treatment, including drug delivery inefficacy and multi-drug resistance. LNPs have significantly advanced targeted therapy by improving the precision and reducing the systemic toxicity of chemotherapeutics such as doxorubicin and paclitaxel. This manuscript details the design and benefits of various LNP systems, including solid lipid–polymer hybrids, which offer controlled release and enhanced drug encapsulation. Despite achievements in reducing tumor size and enhancing survival, challenges such as manufacturing complexity, biocompatibility, and variable clinical outcomes persist. Future directions are aimed at refining targeting capabilities, expanding combinatorial therapies, and integrating advanced manufacturing techniques to tailor treatments to individual patient profiles, thus promising to transform lung cancer therapy through interdisciplinary collaboration and regulatory innovation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lipid Nanostructures as Drug Carriers for Cancer Therapy)
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