Recent progress on nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems for cancer therapy

Nanocarrier cancer therapeutics with functional stimuli-responsive mechanisms

Presently, nanocarriers (NCs) have gained huge attention for their structural ability, good biocompatibility, and biodegradability. The development of effective NCs with stimuli-responsive properties has acquired a huge interest among scientists. When developing drug delivery NCs, the fundamental goal is to tackle the delivery-related problems associated with standard chemotherapy and to carry medicines to the intended sites of action while avoiding undesirable side effects. These nanocarriers were able of delivering drugs to tumors through regulating their pH, temperature, enzyme responsiveness. With the use of nanocarriers, chemotherapeutic drugs could be supplied to tumors more accurately that can equally encapsulate and deliver them. Material carriers for chemotherapeutic medicines are discussed in this review keeping in viewpoint of the structural properties and targeting methods that make these carriers more therapeutically effective, in addition to metabolic pathways triggered by drug-loaded NCs. Largely, the development of NCs countering to endogenous and exogenous stimuli in tumor regions and understanding of mechanisms would encourage the progress for tumor therapy and precision diagnosis in future.

Sequential Drug Delivery in Targeted Cancer Therapy

Cancer is a major public health problem and one of the leading causes of death. However, traditional cancer therapy may damage normal cells and cause side effects. Many targeted drug delivery platforms have been developed to overcome the limitations of the free form of therapeutics and biological barriers. The commonly used cancer cell surface targets are CD44, matrix metalloproteinase-2, folate receptors, etc. Once the drug enters the cell, active delivery of the drug molecule to its final destination is still preferred. The subcellular targeting strategies include using glucocorticoid receptors for nuclear targeting, negative mitochondrial membrane potential and N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase for Golgi apparatus targeting, etc. Therefore, the most effective way to deliver therapeutic agents is through a sequential drug delivery system that simultaneously achieves cellular- and subcellular-level targeting. The dual-targeting delivery holds great promise for improving therapeutic effects and overcoming drug resistance. This review classifies sequential drug delivery systems based on final targeted organelles. We summarize different targeting strategies and mechanisms and gave examples of each case.

Lipid-Based Nanoparticles for Targeted Delivery of the Anti-Cancer Drugs: A Review

Abstract:

Cancer is one of the main reasons for mortality worldwide. Chemotherapeutic agents have been effectively designed to increase certain patients' survival rates, but ordinarily designed chemotherapeutic agents necessarily deliver toxic chemotherapeutic drugs to healthy tissues, resulting in serious side effects. Cancer cells can often acquire drug resistance after repeated dosing of current chemotherapeutic agents, restricting their efficacy. Given such obstacles, investigators have attempted to distribute chemotherapeutic agents using targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs), especially nanotechnology-based DDSs. Lipid-Based Nanoparticles (LBNPs) are a large and complex class of substances that have been utilized to manage a variety of diseases, mostly cancer. Liposomes seem to be the most frequently employed LBNPs, owing to their high biocompatibility, bioactivity, stability, and flexibility; howbeit Solid Lipid Nanoparticles (SLNs) and Non-structured Lipid Carriers (NLCs) have lately received a lot of interest. Besides that, there are several reports that concentrate on novel therapies via LBNPs to manage various forms of cancer. In the present research, the latest improvements in the application of LBNPs have been shown to deliver different therapeutic agents to cancerous cells and have been demonstrated LBNPs also can be a quite successful candidate in cancer therapy for subsequent use.

La(iii)–curcumin-functionalized gold nanocomposite as a red light-activatable mitochondria-targeting PDT agent

Functionalization of La(iii)–curcumin to gold nanoparticles resulted in remarkable red-shifted UV-visible absorption and exhibited remarkable differential photodynamic ability towards cancer cells upon red-light activation.

A success targeted nano delivery to lung cancer cells with multi-walled carbon nanotubes conjugated to bromocriptine

In this research, a new nano drug-based multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) was prepared and evaluated qualitatively. Bromocriptine (BRC) was conjugated to functionalized carbon nanotubes. Then, the CHNS, FT-IR, SEM, and RAMAN tests for characterization of the conjugated drug were done. The nanofluid-containing nano-drug was evaluated on lung cancer cells (A549 & QU-DB) and MRC5 by MTT and flow cytometry tests. Then, the gene expression studies of dopamine receptor genes were done before and after nano-drug treatment. After that, a western blotting test was carried out for further investigation of dopamine receptors protein production. Finally, Bax and Bcl-2 secretion were measured by the ELISA method in cells affected by MWCNTs-BRC Nf compared to untreated cells. The results showed that the nano-drug had a significant lethal effect on cancer cells, while it had no toxicity on MRC5. Also, the nano-drug could significantly induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells at a lower dose compared to the drug alone. In this study, a targeted nano-drug delivery system was designed, and its performance was evaluated based on neurotransmitter pathways, and the results showed that it may be useful in the treatment of lung cancer. However, additional studies on animal models are underway.

Pharmaceutical Aspects of Nanocarriers for Smart Anticancer Therapy

Drug delivery to tumor sites using nanotechnology has been demonstrated to overcome the drawbacks of conventional anticancer drugs. Altering the surface shape and geometry of nanocomposites alters their chemical properties, which can confer multiple attributes to nanocarriers for the treatment of cancer and their use as imaging agents for cancer diagnosis. However, heterogeneity and blood flow in human cancer limit the distribution of nanoparticles at the site of tumor tisues. For targeted delivery and controlled release of drug molecules in harsh tumor microenvironments, smart nanocarriers combined with various stimuli-responsive materials have been developed. In this review, we describe nanomaterials for smart anticancer therapy as well as their pharmaceutical aspects including pharmaceutical process, formulation, controlled drug release, drug targetability, and pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic profiles of smart nanocarriers. Inorganic or organic-inorganic hybrid nanoplatforms and the electrospinning process have also been briefly described here.

Multi-scale Monte Carlo simulations of gold nanoparticle-induced DNA damages for kilovoltage X-ray irradiation in a xenograft mouse model using TOPAS-nBio

Background

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are considered as promising agents to increase the radiosensitivity of tumor cells. However, the biological mechanisms of radiation enhancement effects of AuNPs are still not well understood. We present a multi-scale Monte Carlo simulation framework within TOPAS-nBio to investigate the increase of DNA damage due to the presence of AuNPs in mouse tumor models.

Methods

A tumor was placed inside a voxel mouse model and irradiated with either 100 kVp or 200 kVp x-ray beams. Phase spaces were employed to transfer particles from the macroscopic (voxel) scale to the microscopic scale, which consists of a cell geometry including a detailed mouse DNA model. Radiosensitizing effects were calculated in the presence and absence of hybrid nanoparticles with a Fe2O3 core surrounded by a gold layer (AuFeNPs). To simulate DNA damage even for very small energy tracks, Geant4-DNA physics and chemistry models were used on microscopic scale.

Results

An AuFeNP induced enhancement of both dose and DNA strand breaks has been established for different scenarios. Produced chemical radicals including hydroxyl molecules, which were assumed to be responsible for DNA damage through chemical reactions, were found to be significantly increased. We further observed a dependency of the results on the location of the cells within the tumor for 200 kVp x-ray beams.

Conclusions

Our multi-scale approach allows to study irradiation induced physical and chemical effects on cells. We showed a potential increase in cell radiosensitization caused by relatively small concentrations of AuFeNPs. Our new methodology allows the individual adjustment of parameters in each simulation step and therefore can be used for other studies investigating the radiosensitizing effects of AuFeNPs or AuNPs in living cells.

Were magnetic materials useful in cancer therapy?

Cancer is one of the major challenges fronting the biomedical basic researches in our time. The study and development of effective therapeutic strategies for cancer therapy are vital. Among the many probable core constituents of nanoparticles, magnetite-based nanoparticles have been widely studied for cancer therapy owing to their inherent magnetic features, multifunctional design, biodegradable and biocompatible properties. Magnetic nanoparticles have been also designed for utilizing as contrast enhancer agents for magnetic resonance imaging, drug delivery systems, and most recently as a therapeutic element in inducing cellular death in tumor ablation therapies. This review aimed to provide an overview of the various applications of magnetic nanoparticles and recent achievements in developing these advanced materials for cancer therapy.

Thermoresponsive Chitosan-Grafted-Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam) Microgels via Ionotropic Gelation for Oncological Applications

Microgels can be considered soft, porous and deformable particles with an internal gel structure swollen by a solvent and an average size between 100 and 1000 nm. Due to their biocompatibility, colloidal stability, their unique dynamicity and the permeability of their architecture, they are emerging as important candidates for drug delivery systems, sensing and biocatalysis. In clinical applications, the research on responsive microgels is aimed at the development of "smart" delivery systems that undergo a critical change in conformation and size in reaction to a change in environmental conditions (temperature, magnetic fields, pH, concentration gradient). Recent achievements in biodegradable polymer fabrication have resulted in new appealing strategies, including the combination of synthetic and natural-origin polymers with inorganic nanoparticles, as well as the possibility of controlling drug release remotely. In this review, we provide a literature review on the use of dual and multi-responsive chitosan-grafted-poly-(N-vinylcaprolactam) (CP) microgels in drug delivery and oncological applications.

Multifunctional Traceable Liposomes with Temperature-Triggered Drug Release and Neovasculature-Targeting Properties for Improved Cancer Chemotherapy

Poor distribution of nanocarriers at the tumor site and insufficient drug penetration into the tissue are major challenges in the development of effective and safe cancer therapy. Here, we aim to enhance the therapeutic effect of liposomes by accumulating doxorubicin-loaded liposomes at high concentrations in and around the tumor, followed by heat-triggered drug release to facilitate low-molecular-weight drug penetration throughout the tumor. A cyclic RGD peptide (cRGD) was incorporated into liposomes decorated with a thermosensitive polymer that allowed precise tuning of drug release temperature (i.e., Polymer-lip) to develop a targeted thermosensitive liposome (cRGD-Polymer-lip). Compared with conventional thermosensitive liposomes, cRGD-Polymer-lip enhanced the binding of liposomes to endothelial cells, leading to their accumulation at the tumor site upon intravenous administration in tumor-bearing mice. Drug release triggered by local heating strongly inhibited tumor growth. Notably, tumor remission was achieved via multiple administrations of cRGD-Polymer-lip and heat treatments. Thus, combining the advantages of tumor neovascular targeting and heat-triggered drug release, these liposomes offer high potential for minimally invasive and effective cancer chemotherapy.

Camptothecin's journey from discovery to WHO Essential Medicine: Fifty years of promise

Nature represents a rich source of compounds used for the treatment of many diseases. Camptothecin (CPT), isolated from the bark of Camptotheca acuminata, is a cytotoxic alkaloid that attenuates cancer cell replication by inhibiting DNA topoisomerase 1. Despite its promising and wide spectrum antiproliferative activity, its use is limited due to low solubility, instability, acquired tumour cell resistance, and remarkable toxicity. This has led to the development of numerous CPT analogues with improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles. Three natural product-inspired drugs, namely, topotecan, irinotecan, and belotecan, are clinically approved and prescribed drugs for the treatment of several types of cancer, whereas other derivatives are in clinical trials. In this review, which covers literature from 2015 to 2020, we aim to provide a comprehensive overview and describe efforts that led to the development of a variety of CPT analogues. These efforts have led to the discovery of potent, first-in-class chemotherapeutic agents inspired by CPT. In addition, the mechanism of action, SAR studies, and recent advances of novel CPT drug delivery systems and antibody drug conjugates are discussed.

Specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators in endodontics: a narrative review

Endodontics is the branch of dentistry concerned with the morphology, physiology, and pathology of the human dental pulp and periradicular tissues. Human dental pulp is a highly dynamic tissue equipped with a network of resident immunocompetent cells that play major roles in the defense against pathogens and during tissue injury. However, the efficiency of these mechanisms during dental pulp inflammation (pulpitis) varies due to anatomical and physiological restrictions. Uncontrolled, excessive, or unresolved inflammation can lead to pulp tissue necrosis and subsequent bone infections called apical periodontitis. In most cases, pulpitis treatment consists of total pulp removal. Although this strategy has a good success rate, this treatment has some drawbacks (lack of defense mechanisms, loss of healing capacities, incomplete formation of the root in young patients). In a sizeable number of clinical situations, the decision to perform pulp extirpation and endodontic treatment is justifiable by the lack of therapeutic tools that could otherwise limit the immune/inflammatory process. In the past few decades, many studies have demonstrated that the resolution of acute inflammation is necessary to avoid the development of chronic inflammation and to promote repair or regeneration. This active process is orchestrated by Specialized Pro-resolving lipid Mediators (SPMs), including lipoxins, resolvins, protectins and maresins. Interestingly, SPMs do not have direct anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting or directly blocking this process but can actively reduce neutrophil infiltration into inflamed tissues, enhance efferocytosis and bacterial phagocytosis by monocytes and macrophages and simultaneously inhibit inflammatory cytokine production. Experimental clinical application of SPMs has shown promising result in a wide range of inflammatory diseases, such as renal fibrosis, cerebral ischemia, marginal periodontitis, and cancer; the potential of SPMs in endodontic therapy has recently been explored. In this review, our objective was to analyze the involvement and potential use of SPMs in endodontic therapies with an emphasis on SPM delivery systems to effectively administer SPMs into the dental pulp space.

Effect of Paclitaxel/etoposide co-loaded polymeric nanoparticles on tumor size and survival rate in a rat model of glioblastoma

The aim of this work is to co-load paclitaxel (PTX) and etoposide (ETP) in methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles (mPEG-PLGA NPs) to overcome pharmacokinetics and physiological limitations and enhance therapeutic efficacy for treating intracranial glioblastoma. Both drugs were loaded into mPEG-PLGA NPs by a nano-precipitation method. The resultant NPs demonstrated an enhanced cytotoxic effect indicated by lower IC₅₀ values and augmented cell apoptosis to U87 and C6 glioma cell lines compared to both free drugs. Additionally, blood compatibility assays showed that the PTX/ETP co-loaded mPEG-PLGA NPs did not induce blood hemolysis, blood clotting, or platelet aggregation. In vivo anti-glioma efficacy evaluation in rats bearingintracranialC6glioma revealed a superior anti-glioma activity for the treatment with PTX/ETP co-loaded mPEG-PLGA NPs compared to other formulations, particularly a significantly longer median survival, 76 days compared to 36 days for free PTX and 37 days for free ETP treatment, respectively, and higher tumor regression, proved by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

A molecular dynamics study on using of naturally occurring polymers for structural stabilization of erythropoietin at high temperature

Today the nano drug delivery systems are among the hot topics in drug design and pharmacy studies. Extensive researches are conducted worldwide for obtaining more effective therapeutics and screen the best drug carrier in-vivo and in-vitro. Considering the high cost of such experiments and the ethical issues linked with in-vivo studies, the in-silico analysis provides the time and cost-effective opportunity to evaluation of physiochemical properties and the interactions between drugs and their carriers. In this study using molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, five commonly used biodegradable biopolymers in pharmaceutical formulations including Chitosan, Alginate, Cyclodextrin, Hyaluronic Acid, and Pectin were investigated as proper carriers for the erythropoietin (EPO) in heat stress. The EPO was simulated in different temperatures of 298 and 343 K and the ability of polymers for temperature stabilization of the protein was evaluated comparatively. Overall, the results obtained in this study suggest that the pectin polysaccharide is the preferable carrier than others in term of protein stability in high temperatures and using for the delivery of erythropoietin.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A Theranostic Cellulose Nanocrystal-Based Drug Delivery System with Enhanced Retention in Pulmonary Metastasis of Melanoma

Metastatic melanoma can be difficult to detect until at the advanced state that decreases the survival rate of patients. Several FDA-approved BRAF inhibitors have been used for treatment of metastatic melanoma, but overall therapeutic efficacy has been limited. Lutetium-177 (177 Lu) enables simultaneous tracking of tracer accumulation with single-photon emission computed tomography and radiotherapy. Therefore, the codelivery of 177 Lu alongside chemotherapeutic agents using nanoparticles (NPs) might improve the therapeutic outcome in metastatic melanoma. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC NPs) can particularly deliver payloads to lung capillaries in vivo. Herein, 177 Lu-labeled CNC NPs loaded with vemurafenib ([177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs) is developed and the therapeutic effect in BRAF V600E mutation-harboring YUMM1.G1 murine model of lung metastatic melanoma is investigated. The [177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs demonstrate favorable radiolabel stability, drug release profile, cellular uptake, and cell growth inhibition in vitro. In vivo biodistribution reveals significant retention of the [177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs in the lung, liver, and spleen. Ultimately, the median survival time of animals is doubly increased after treatment with [177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs compared to control groups. The enhanced therapeutic efficacy of [177 Lu]Lu-CNC-V NPs in the lung metastatic melanoma animal model provides convincing evidence for the potential of clinical translation for theranostic CNC NP-based drug delivery systems after intravenous administration.

Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery to Improve the Therapeutic Benefits of NRF2 Modulators in Cancer Therapy

The disadvantages of conventional anticancer drugs, such as their low bioavailability, poor targeting efficacy, and serious side effects, have led to the discovery of new therapeutic agents and potential drug delivery systems. In particular, the introduction of nano-sized drug delivery systems (NDDSs) has opened new horizons for effective cancer treatment. These are considered potential systems that provide deep tissue penetration and specific drug targeting. On the other hand, nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2)-based anticancer treatment approaches have attracted tremendous attention and produced encouraging results. However, the lack of effective formulation strategies is one of the factors that hinder the clinical application of NRF2 modulators. In this review, we initially focus on the critical role of NRF2 in cancer cells and NRF2-based anticancer treatment. Subsequently, we review the preparation and characterization of NDDSs encapsulating NRF2 modulators and discuss their potential for cancer therapy.

Electrospray Mediated Localized and Targeted Chemotherapy in a Mouse Model of Lung Cancer

Background: An advanced stage, centrally localized invasive tumor is a major cause of sudden death in lung cancer patients. Currently, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, laser ablation, or surgical resection if possible are the available state-of-the-art treatments but none of these guarantee remedy or long-term relief and are often associated with fatal complications. Allowing localized chemotherapy, by direct and confined drug delivery only at the tumor site, could be a promising option for preoperative down staging or palliative therapy. Here we report the localized and targeted application of intra tumor delivery of chemotherapeutics using a novel device based on the principle of electrospray.

Methods: C57BL/6J mice were injected with Lewis lung carcinoma cells subcutaneously. After 15 days, the animals were anesthetized and the tumors were exposed by skin incision. Tumors were electrosprayed with 100 µg cisplatin on days 0 and 2, and tumor volumes were measured daily. Animals were sacrificed on day 7 after the first electrospray and tumors were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

Results: In this proof-of-concept study, we report that the tumor volume was reduced by 81.2% (22.46 ± 12.14 mm³) after two electrospray mediated Cisplatin deliveries, while the control tumor growth, at the same time point, increased by 200% (514.30 ± 104.50 mm³). Moreover, tunnel and Caspase-3 positive cells were increased after Cisplatin electrospray compared to other experimental groups of animals.

Conclusion: Targeted drug delivery by electrospray is efficient in the subcutaneous mouse model of lung cancer and offers a promising opportunity for further development toward its clinical application.

Self-assembled Viral Nanoparticles as Targeted Anticancer Vehicles

Viral nanoparticles (VNPs) comprise a variety of mammalian viruses, plant viruses, and bacteriophages, that have been adopted as building blocks and supra-molecular templates in nanotechnology. VNPs demonstrate the dynamic, monodisperse, polyvalent, and symmetrical architectures which represent examples of such biological templates. These programmable scaffolds have been exploited for genetic and chemical manipulation for displaying of targeted moieties together with encapsulation of various payloads for diagnosis or therapeutic intervention. The drug delivery system based on VNPs offer diverse advantages over synthetic nanoparticles, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, water solubility, and high uptake capability. Here we summarize the recent progress of VNPs especially as targeted anticancer vehicles from the encapsulation and surface modification mechanisms, involved viruses and VNPs, to their application potentials.

Nanotechnology-based platforms to improve immune checkpoint blockade efficacy in cancer therapy

In recent years, cancer immunotherapy has evolved as an exciting novel strategy for researchers and clinicians worldwide. Immunotherapeutic agents such as immune checkpoint blockers have changed the standard-of-care treatment provided for many tumors. Unfortunately, only a small proportion of patients respond effectively to these checkpoint inhibitors. Moreover, the immunosuppressive pathways for cancer are probably too complicated to achieve optimal outcome with immune checkpoint inhibitors alone. Combining current therapeutic options and immunotherapy-based approaches is being explored as an effective strategy to treat cancer. The use of nanotechnology-based platforms for delivery of immunotherapeutic agents or combination therapy could offer a major advantage over conventional anticancer treatment options. This review highlights the potential role of different nanotechnology-based strategies in improving the efficacy of immune checkpoint blockade therapy.

Combining vanadyl sulfate with Newcastle disease virus potentiates rapid innate immune-mediated regression with curative potential in murine cancer models

The avian paramyxovirus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is a promising oncolytic agent that has been shown to be safe and effective in a variety of pre-clinical cancer models and human clinical trials. NDV preferentially replicates in tumor cells due to signaling defects in apoptotic and antiviral pathways acquired during the transformation process and is a potent immunostimulatory agent. However, when used as a monotherapy NDV lacks the ability to consistently generate durable remissions. Here we investigate the use of viral sensitizer-mediated combination therapy to enhance the anti-neoplastic efficacy of NDV. Intratumoral injection of vanadyl sulfate, a pan-inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases, in combination with NDV significantly increased the number and activation status of natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment, concomitant with increased expression of interferon-β, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, leading to rapid tumor regression and long-term cures in mice bearing syngeneic B16-F10 melanomas. The anti-tumor efficacy of this combination therapy was abrogated when NK cells were depleted and when interferon-β expression was transiently suppressed. Tumor-specific CD8⁺ T cell responses were not detected, nor were mice whose tumors regressed protected from re-challenge. This suggested efficacy of the combination therapy predominantly relied on the innate immune system. Importantly, efficacy was not limited to melanoma; it was also demonstrated in a murine prostate cancer model. Taken together, these results suggest that combining NDV with vanadyl sulfate potentiates an innate immune response that can potentiate rapid clearance of tumors, with type I interferon signaling and NK cells being important mechanisms of action.

Green Synthesis of Magnetic Nanoparticles Using Satureja hortensis Essential Oil toward Superior Antibacterial/Fungal and Anticancer Performance

The biological synthesis of nanoparticles, due to their environmental and biomedical properties, has been of particular interest to scientists and physicians. Here, iron nanoparticles (FeNPs) were synthesized using Satureja hortensis essential oil. Then, the chemical, functional, and morphological properties of these nanoparticles were characterized by typical experiments such as Uv-Vis, FTIR, XRD, FE-SEM, PSA, zeta potential, EDX, and EDX mapping. The results indicated Fe nanoparticles' formation with a cubic morphological structure and a particle size in the range of 9.3-27 nm. The antimicrobial effects of these nanoparticles were further evaluated using disc diffusion, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), and minimum fungal concentration (MFC) against two gram-positive bacterial strains (Staphylococcus aureus and Corynebacterium glutamicum), two gram-negative bacterial strains (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli), and one fungus species Candida albicans. The results showed that green-synthesized Fe nanoparticles possessed higher antimicrobial properties than Satureja hortensis essential oil against selected pathogenic microorganisms, especially Gram-negative bacteria. Finally, the anticancer effect of these Fe nanoparticles was investigated on human cancer cells, K-562, and MCF-7, by the MTT assay. The results showed the anticancer effect of these nanoparticles against selected cell lines.

Polyamidoamine Dendrimers Decorated Multifunctional Polydopamine Nanoparticles for Targeted Chemo- and Photothermal Therapy of Liver Cancer Model

The development of multifunctional drug delivery systems combining two or more nanoparticle-mediated therapies for efficient cancer treatment is highly desired. To face this challenge, a photothermally active polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticle-based platform was designed for the loading of chemotherapeutic drug and targeting of cancer cells. PDA spheres were first functionalized with polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers followed by the conjugation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) moieties and folic acid (FA) targeting ligand. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was then absorbed on the particle surface. We performed the physico-chemical characterization of this versatile material and we assessed further its possible application in chemo- and photothermal therapy using liver cancer cell model. These nanoparticles exhibited high near-infrared photothermal conversion efficacy and allowed for loading of the drug, which upon release in specifically targeted cancer cells suppressed their growth. Using cell proliferation, membrane damage, apoptosis, and oxidative stress assays we demonstrated high performance of this nanosystem in cancer cell death induction, providing a novel promising approach for cancer therapy.

Effects of Doxorubicin Delivery by Nitrogen-Doped Graphene Quantum Dots on Cancer Cell Growth: Experimental Study and Mathematical Modeling

With 18 million new cases diagnosed each year worldwide, cancer strongly impacts both science and society. Current models of cancer cell growth and therapeutic efficacy in vitro are time-dependent and often do not consider the E_max value (the maximum reduction in the growth rate), leading to inconsistencies in the obtained IC₅₀ (concentration of the drug at half maximum effect). In this work, we introduce a new dual experimental/modeling approach to model HeLa and MCF-7 cancer cell growth and assess the efficacy of doxorubicin chemotherapeutics, whether alone or delivered by novel nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots (N-GQDs). These biocompatible/biodegradable nanoparticles were used for the first time in this work for the delivery and fluorescence tracking of doxorubicin, ultimately decreasing its IC₅₀ by over 1.5 and allowing for the use of up to 10 times lower doses of the drug to achieve the same therapeutic effect. Based on the experimental in vitro studies with nanomaterial-delivered chemotherapy, we also developed a method of cancer cell growth modeling that (1) includes an E_max value, which is often not characterized, and (2), most importantly, is measurement time-independent. This will allow for the more consistent assessment of the efficiency of anti-cancer drugs and nanomaterial-delivered formulations, as well as efficacy improvements of nanomaterial delivery.

Role of Exosomes for Delivery of Chemotherapeutic Drugs

Exosomes are endogenous extracellular vesicles (30-100 nm) composed with membrane lipid bilayer which carry vesicular proteins, enzymes, mRNA, miRNA and nucleic acids. They act as messengers for intra- and inter-cellular communication. In addition to their physiological roles, exosomes have the potential to encapsulate and deliver small chemotherapeutic drugs and biological molecules such as proteins and nucleic acid-based drugs to the recipient tissue or organs. Due to their biological properties, exosomes have better organotropism, homing capacity, cellular uptake and cargo release ability than other synthetic nano-drug carriers such as liposomes, micelles and nanogels. The secretion of tumor-derived exosomes is increased in the hypoxic and acidic tumor microenvironment, which can be used as a target for nontoxic and nonimmunogenic drug delivery vehicles for various cancers. Moreover, exosomes have the potential to carry both hydrophilic and hydrophobic chemotherapeutic drugs, bypass RES effect and bypass BBB. Exosomes can be isolated from other types of EVs and cell debris based on their size, density and specific surface proteins through ultracentrifugation, density gradient separation, precipitation, immunoaffinity interaction and gel filtration. Drugs can be loaded into exosomes at the biogenesis stage or with the isolated exosomes by incubation, electroporation, extrusion or sonication methods. Finally, exosomal cargo vehicles can be characterized by ultrastructural microscopic analysis. In this review we intend to summarize the inception, structure and function of the exosomes, role of exosomes in immunological regulation and cancer, methods of isolation and characterization of exosomes and products under clinical trials. This review will provide an inclusive insight of exosomes in drug delivery.

Delivery of Protein Kinase A by CRISPRMAX and Its Effects on Breast Cancer Stem-Like Properties

Protein kinase A (PKA) activation has recently been reported to inhibit epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cancer stem cell (CSC) ability, which is considered to be responsible for chemoresistance and tumor recurrence in patients. While current studies mainly focus on gene manipulation of the EMT process, the direct delivery of PKA enzymes to cancer cells has never been investigated. Here, we utilize the commercial Lipofectamine CRISPRMAX reagent to directly deliver PKAs to breast cancer cells and evaluate its effects on EMT regulation. We optimized the delivery parameters with fluorescent-labeled bovine serum albumin, and successfully delivered fluorescent PKAs through CRISPRMAX into breast cancer cells. Then, we evaluated the biological effects by immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, mammosphere assay, and chemoresistance assay. Our data showed the expression of EMT-related markers, α-smooth muscle actin and N-cadherin, was downregulated after CRISPRMAX-PKA treatment. Although the CD44+/CD24- population did not change considerably, the size of mammospheres significantly decreased. In paclitaxel and doxorubicin chemoresistance assays, we noticed PKA delivery significantly inhibited paclitaxel resistance rather than doxorubicin resistance. Taken together, these results suggest our direct enzyme delivery can be a potential strategy for inhibiting EMT/CSC-associated traits, providing a safer approach and having more clinical translational efficacy than gene manipulation. This strategy will also facilitate the direct testing of other target enzymes/proteins on their biological functions.

Normal breast epithelial MCF-10A cells to evaluate the safety of carbon dots

The human normal breast cell line MCF-10A is being widely used as a model in toxicity studies due to its structural similarity to the normal human mammary epithelium. Over the years, application of carbon dots (C-dots) in biomedicine has been increasing due to their photoluminescence properties, biocompatibility, biosafety and possible applications in bioimaging and as drug carriers. In this work we prepared three different C-dots from the same set of carbon and nitrogen precursors (citric acid and urea, respectively) via three distinct bottom-up synthetic routes and their safety was tested against the normal breast cell line MCF-10A. The characterization results demonstrated a similar size range and composition for all the C-dots. The MCF-10A cells were treated with different concentrations of C-dots for 24, 48 and 72 h to evaluate the cell viability over time. For the 24 h incubation, there were no significant decreases in the viability of the MCF-10A cells. For the 48 h treatment, there was a significant decrease in the viability of the cells treated with calcination-based C-dots, but without significant cellular viability changes for microwave and hydrothermal-based C-dots. For 72 h, cells treated with hydrothermal-based C-dots have the most promising viability profile. Also, compared with paclitaxel, these C-dots have a safety profile very close to that of an antineoplastic in non-tumor cells. Our results suggest that these new C-dots have potential as imaging candidates or biosensing tools as well as drug carriers, and further investigation in animal models is needed for future application in medicine.

Modulating barriers of tumor microenvironment through nanocarrier systems for improved cancer immunotherapy: a review of current status and future perspective

Cancer immunotherapy suppresses and destroys tumors by re-activating and sustaining the tumor-immune process, and thus improving the immune response of the body to the tumor. Immunotherapeutic strategies are showing promising results in pre-clinical and clinical trials, however, tumor microenvironment (TME) is extremely immunosuppressive. Thus, their translation from labs to clinics still faces issues. Recently, nanomaterial-based strategies have been developed to modulate the TME for robust immunotherapeutic responses. The combination of nanotechnology with immunotherapy potentiates the effectiveness of immunotherapy by increasing delivery and retention, and by reducing immunomodulation toxicity. This review aims to highlight the barriers offered by TME for hindering the efficiency of immunotherapy for cancer treatment. Next, we highlight various nano-carriers based strategies for modulating those barriers for achieving better therapeutic efficacy of cancer immunotherapy with higher safety. This review will add to the body of scientific knowledge and will be a good reference material for academia and industries.

Ultrasound-responsive highly biocompatible nanodroplets loaded with doxorubicin for tumor imaging and treatment in vivo

As an injectable anticancer drug delivery system, the biological safety of nanocarriers is the most important prerequisite for their clinical application. The objective of our study was to synthesize special ultrasound-responsive highly biocompatible chitosan nanodroplets (BCNDs), observe their spatiotemporally control the delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) in vivo. The experimental results showed that the BCNDs were successfully prepared with high biosafety in vivo and great ultrasound imaging ability. DOX-BCNDs promoted the anticancer effects of DOX in vivo and inhibited the development of tumors. They also reduced the side effects to the heart and kidneys. In conclusion, BCNDs are a new type of smart nanocarrier with high biocompatibility and efficacy have great potential to be used in the clinic.

pH-Sensitive Nanodrug Carriers for Codelivery of ERK Inhibitor and Gemcitabine Enhance the Inhibition of Tumor Growth in Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), a metabolic disorder, remains one of the leading cancer mortality sources worldwide. An initial response to treatments, such as gemcitabine (GEM), is often followed by emergent resistance reflecting an urgent need for alternate therapies. The PDAC resistance to GEM could be due to ERK1/2 activity. However, successful ERKi therapy is hindered due to low ligand efficiency, poor drug delivery, and toxicity. In this study, to overcome these limitations, we have designed pH-responsive nanoparticles (^pHNPs) with a size range of 100-150 nm for the simultaneous delivery of ERKi (SCH 772984) and GEM with tolerable doses. These ^pHNPs are polyethylene glycol (PEG)-containing amphiphilic polycarbonate block copolymers with tertiary amine side chains. They are systemically stable and capable of improving in vitro and in vivo drug delivery at the cellular environment's acidic pH. The functional analysis indicates that the nanomolar doses of ERKi or GEM significantly decreased the 50% growth inhibition (IC₅₀) of PDAC cells when encapsulated in ^pHNPs compared to free drugs. The combination of ERKi with GEM displayed a synergistic inhibitory effect. Unexpectedly, we uncover that the minimum effective dose of ERKi significantly promotes GEM activities on PDAC cells. Furthermore, we found that ^pHNP-encapsulated combination therapy of ERKi with GEM was superior to unencapsulated combination drug therapy. Our findings, thus, reveal a simple, yet efficient, drug delivery approach to overcome the limitations of ERKi for clinical applications and present a new model of sensitization of GEM by ERKi with no or minimal toxicity.

Facile Preparation of Macromolecular Prodrugs for Hypoxia-Specific Chemotherapy

Hypoxia-activated prodrugs (HAPs) have emerged as important candidates for chemotherapy due to their efficient killing of hypoxic cancer cells. Traditional small molecule agents, such as tirapazamine (TPZ) and its derivatives, have shown unsatisfactory therapeutic effect in clinical trials due to poor bioavailability in hypoxic tumor regions. Herein, an amphiphilic macromolecular prodrug with hypoxia-specific activity, named as hypoxia-activated macromolecular prodrug (HAMP), is prepared from poly{[poly(ethylene glycol) methacrylate]-st-(methacrylic acid)} [poly(PEGMA-st-MAA)], containing pendant TPZ residues. This polymer can self-assemble in an aqueous system into ∼37 nm sized nanoparticles. In vitro experiments indicated that HAMP shows 5× higher cytotoxicity to hypoxic cancer cells as compared to normoxic cancer cells. Therefore, the developed HAMP can be concurrently used with other therapeutic agents as a highly efficient hypoxia-activated agent.

Photonic-Plasmonic Nanostructures for Solar Energy Utilization and Emerging Biosensors

Issues related to global energy and environment as well as health crisis are currently some of the greatest challenges faced by humanity, which compel us to develop new pollution-free and sustainable energy sources, as well as next-generation biodiagnostic solutions. Optical functional nanostructures that manipulate and confine light on a nanometer scale have recently emerged as leading candidates for a wide range of applications in solar energy conversion and biosensing. In this review, recent research progress in the development of photonic and plasmonic nanostructures for various applications in solar energy conversion, such as photovoltaics, photothermal conversion, and photocatalysis, is highlighted. Furthermore, the combination of photonic and plasmonic nanostructures for developing high-efficiency solar energy conversion systems is explored and discussed. We also discuss recent applications of photonic-plasmonic-based biosensors in the rapid management of infectious diseases at point-of-care as well as terahertz biosensing and imaging for improving global health. Finally, we discuss the current challenges and future prospects associated with the existing solar energy conversion and biosensing systems.

Therapeutic nanodendrites: current applications and prospects

Multidisciplinary efforts in the field of nanomedicine for cancer therapy to provide solutions to common limitations of traditional drug administration such as poor bioaccumulation, hydrophobicity, and nonspecific biodistribution and targeting have registered very promising progress thus far. Currently, a new class of metal nanostructures possessing a unique dendritic-shaped morphology has been designed for improved therapeutic efficiency. Branched metal nanoparticles or metal nanodendrites are credited to present promising characteristics for biomedical applications owing to their unique physicochemical, optical, and electronic properties. Nanodendrites can enhance the loading efficiency of bioactive molecules due to their three-dimensional (3D) high surface area and can selectively deliver their cargo to tumor cells using their stimuli-responsive properties. With the ability to accumulate sufficiently within cells, nanodendrites can overcome the detection and clearance by glycoproteins. Moreover, active targeting ligands such as antibodies and proteins can as well be attached to these therapeutic nanodendrites to enhance specific tumor targeting, thereby presenting a multifunctional nanoplatform with tunable strategies. This mini-review focuses on recent developments in the understanding of metallic nanodendrite synthesis, formation mechanism, and their therapeutic capabilities for next-generation cancer therapy. Finally, the challenges and future opportunities of these fascinating materials to facilitate extensive research endeavors towards the design and application were discussed.

Therapeutic applications of herbal/synthetic/bio-drug in oral cancer: An update

Oral cancer, as one of the most prevalent and invasive cancers that invade local tissue, can cause metastasis, and have high mortality. In 2018, around 355,000 worldwide oral cancers occurred and resulted in 177,000 deaths. Estimates for the year 2020 include about 53,260 new cases added to previous year's cases, and the estimated death toll from this cancer in 2020 is about 10,750 deaths more than previous years. Despite recent advances in cancer diagnosis and treatment, unfortunately, 50% of people with cancer cannot be cured. Of course, it should be remembered that the type of treatment used greatly influences patient recovery. There are not many choices when it comes to treating oral cancer. Research efforts focusing on the discovery and evolution of innovative therapeutic approaches for oral cancer are essential. Such traditional methods of treating this type of cancer like surgery and chemotherapy, have evolved dramatically during the past thirty to forty years, but they continue to cause panic among patients due to their side effects. Therefore, it is necessary to study and use drugs that are less risky for the patient as well as to provide solutions to reduce chemotherapy-induced adverse events that prevent many therapeutic risks. As mentioned above, this study examines low-risk therapies such as herbal remedies, biological drugs, and synthetic drugs in the hope that they will be useful to physicians, researchers, and scientists around the world.

Enteric-Coated Strategies in Colorectal Cancer Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common cancer diseases with the increase of cases prevalence >5% every year. Multidrug resistance mechanisms and non-localized therapy become primary problems of chemotherapy drugs for curing colorectal cancer disease. Therefore, the enteric-coated nanoparticle system has been studied and proved to be able to resolve those problems with good performance for colorectal cancer. The highlight of our review aims to summarize and discuss the enteric-coated nanoparticle drug delivery system specific for colorectal cancer disease. The main and supporting literatures were collected from published research articles of journals indexed in Scopus and PubMed databases. In the oral route of administration, Eudragit pH-sensitive copolymer as a coating agent prevents the degradation of the nanoparticle system from the gastric fluid and releases drug to intestinal-colon track. Therefore, it provides a colon-specific targeting ability. Impressively, enteric-coated nanoparticles having a sustained release profile significantly increase the cytotoxic effect of chemotherapeutic drugs and achieve cell-specific target delivery. The enteric-coated nanoparticle drug delivery system represents an excellent modification to improve the effectiveness and performance of anticancer drugs for colorectal cancer disease in terms of the oral route of administration.

Bioengineered elastin- and silk-biomaterials for drug and gene delivery

Advances in medical science have led to diverse new therapeutic modalities, as well as enhanced understanding of the progression of various disease states. These findings facilitate the design and development of more customized and exquisite drug delivery systems that aim to improve therapeutic indices of drugs to treat a variety of conditions. Synthetic polymer-based drug carriers have often been the focus of such research. However, these structures suffer from challenges with heterogeneity of the starting material, limited chemical features, complex functionalization methods, and in some cases a lack of biocompatibility. Consequently, protein-based polymers have garnered much attention in recent years due to their monodisperse features, ease of production and functionalization, and biocompatibility. Genetic engineering techniques enable the advancement of protein-based drug delivery systems with finely tuned physicochemical properties, and thus an expanded level of customization unavailable with synthetic polymers. Of these genetically engineered proteins, elastin-like proteins (ELP), silk-like proteins (SLP), and silk-elastin-like proteins (SELP) provide a unique set of alternatives for designing drug delivery systems due to their inherent chemical and physical properties and ease of engineering afforded by recombinant DNA technologies. In this review we examine the advantages of genetically engineered drug delivery systems with emphasis on ELP and SLP constructions. Methods for fabrication and relevant biomedical applications will also be discussed.

Aberrant DNA Methylation of ABC Transporters in Cancer

ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters play a crucial role in multidrug resistance (MDR) of cancers. They function as efflux pumps, resulting in limited effectiveness or even failure of therapy. Increasing evidence suggests that ABC transporters are also involved in tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. Tumors frequently show multiple genetic and epigenetic abnormalities, including changes in histone modification and DNA methylation. Alterations in the DNA methylation status of ABC transporters have been reported for a variety of cancer types. In this review, we outline the current knowledge of DNA methylation of ABC transporters in cancer. We give a brief introduction to structure, function, and gene regulation of ABC transporters that have already been investigated for their DNA methylation status in cancer. After giving an overview of the applied methodologies and the CpGs analyzed, we summarize and discuss the findings on aberrant DNA methylation of ABC transporters by cancer types. We conclude our review with the discussion of the potential to target aberrant DNA methylation of ABC transporters for cancer therapy.

Enhanced Internalization of Nanoparticles Following Ionizing Radiation Leads to Mitotic Catastrophe in MG-63 Human Osteosarcoma Cells

This study aims to investigate whether ionizing radiation combined with doxorubicin-conjugated iron oxide nanoparticles (NP-DOX) improves the internalization and cytotoxic effects of the nano-carrier-mediated drug delivery in MG-63 human osteosarcoma cells. NP-DOX was designed and synthesized using the co-precipitation method. Highly stable and crystalline nanoparticles conjugated with DOX were internalized in MG-63 cells through macropinocytosis and located in the perinuclear area. Higher nanoparticles internalization in MG-63 cells previously exposed to 1 Gy X-rays was correlated with an early accumulation of cells in G₂/M, starting at 12 h after treatment. After 48 h, the application of the combined treatment led to higher cytotoxic effects compared to the individual treatment, with a reduction in the metabolic capacity and unrepaired DNA breaks, whilst a low percent of arrested cells, contributing to the commitment of mitotic catastrophe. NP-DOX showed hemocompatibility and no systemic cytotoxicity, nor histopathological alteration of the main organs.

Multifunctional Synthetic Protein Nanoparticles via Reactive Electrojetting

Protein nanoparticles are a promising approach for nanotherapeutics, as proteins combine versatile chemical and biological function with controlled biodegradability. In this work, the development of an adaptable synthesis method is presented for synthetic protein nanoparticles (SPNPs) based on reactive electrojetting. In contrast to past work with electrohydrodynamic cojetting using inert polymers, the jetting solutions are comprised of proteins and chemically activated macromers, designed to react with each other during the processing step, to form insoluble nanogel particles. SPNPs made from a variety of different proteins, such as transferrin, insulin, or hemoglobin, are stable and uniform under physiological conditions and maintain monodisperse sizes of around 200 nm. SPNPs comprised of transferrin and a disulfide containing macromer are stimuli-responsive, and serve as markers of oxidative stress within HeLa cells. Beyond isotropic SPNPs, bicompartmental nanoparticles containing human serum albumin and transferrin in two distinct hemispheres are prepared via reactive electrojetting. This novel platform provides access to a novel class of versatile protein particles with nanoscale architectures that i) can be made from a variety of proteins and macromers, ii) have tunable biological responses, and iii) can be multicompartmental, a prerequisite for controlled release of multiple drugs.

Exosomal Formulation Escalates Cellular Uptake of Honokiol Leading to the Enhancement of Its Antitumor Efficacy

Honokiol is a phytochemical isolated from the Magnolia plant. It exhibits significant antitumor activity against a variety of cancer cell types via targeting of critical mediators of tumor progression, stromal remodeling, and chemoresistance. However, poor bioavailability and inefficient tumor uptake remain some of the hurdles in its translation as a therapeutically useful drug. Here, we developed a nanoformulation of honokiol using mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes, which are nonimmunogenic and express surface markers to support their tumor-targeted delivery. Maximum entrapment of honokiol occurred when it was mixed in a 1:4 weight ratio with exosomes and subjected to six cycles of sonication. Dynamic light scattering analysis demonstrated that the average size (∼175.3 nm), polydispersity (∼0.11), and integrity (∼12.9 mV) of exosomes remained in the desirable range post honokiol encapsulation. Exosome-encapsulated honokiol exhibited significantly higher therapeutic efficacy over the free honokiol in WST-1 growth and long-term clonogenicity assays. Flow cytometry-based cell cycle and live/dead cell assay, respectively, confirmed the enhanced effect of exosomal honokiol formulation on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis induction. More significant alterations in the expression of cell cycle- and survival-associated proteins were also observed in cancer cells treated with exosomal honokiol over free honokiol. Higher intracellular accumulation of honokiol was recorded in cancer cells treated with equivalent doses of honokiol as compared to the free honokiol. Together, our work is the first demonstration of exosomal encapsulation of honokiol and its improved antitumor efficacy resulting from improved cellular uptake.

Advancements in Polymer and Lipid-based Nanotherapeutics for Cancer Drug Targeting

Cancer is a global disease. It is the second leading cause of death worldwide, according to the health report. Approximately 70% of deaths from cancer occurs in low- and middle-income countries. According to the WHO, in 2015 8.8 million deaths were reported due to cancer worldwide. The conventional system of medicine was used since a long for the management of the disease, but it comes with the drawback of low safety, less efficacy and non-targeting of cancer cells. Nanotherapeutics has become the most exploited drug targeting system based on the safety and efficacy this system provides over the conventional system. This review summarizes an advanced design consideration in anticancer therapy, recent advancements in the nanocarrier-based advanced drug targeting, challenges and limitations related to nanoparticles-based therapy in cancer and its future perspective. The review also lists the on-going clinical trials in the last five years on nano-based therapy for different types of cancer. The data for this article was obtained by an extensive literature review of related published scientific contents from the WHO's website, PubMed, Scopus, Scielo, clinicaltrials.gov and other relevant scientific archiving services. The safety and efficacy that nanoparticles provide, and the current research strongly support their application in cancer drug targeting. However, their presence in the market is still limited. Nanotherapeutics in cancer drug targeting needs extensive research in association with pharmaceutical industries. Nano-targeting based therapies are the future of pharmaceutical designing for the diagnosis, management and prevention of different forms of cancer.

Developments of Smart Drug-Delivery Systems Based on Magnetic Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Targeted Cancer Therapy: A Short Review

Cancer therapy is still a huge challenge, as especially chemotherapy shows several drawbacks like low specificity to tumor cells, rapid elimination of drugs, high toxicity and lack of aqueous solubility. The combination of molecular imprinting technology with magnetic nanoparticles provides a new class of smart hybrids, i.e., magnetic molecularly imprinted polymers (MMIPs) to overcome limitations in current cancer therapy. The application of these complexes is gaining more interest in therapy, due to their favorable properties, namely, the ability to be guided and to generate slight hyperthermia with an appropriate external magnetic field, alongside the high selectivity and loading capacity of imprinted polymers toward a template molecule. In cancer therapy, using the MMIPs as smart-drug-delivery robots can be a promising alternative to conventional direct administered chemotherapy, aiming to enhance drug accumulation/penetration into the tumors while fewer side effects on the other organs. Overview: In this review, we state the necessity of further studies to translate the anticancer drug-delivery systems into clinical applications with high efficiency. This work relates to the latest state of MMIPs as smart-drug-delivery systems aiming to be used in chemotherapy. The application of computational modeling toward selecting the optimum imprinting interaction partners is stated. The preparation methods employed in these works are summarized and their attainment in drug-loading capacity, release behavior and cytotoxicity toward cancer cells in the manner of in vitro and in vivo studies are stated. As an essential issue toward the development of a body-friendly system, the biocompatibility and toxicity of the developed drug-delivery systems are discussed. We conclude with the promising perspectives in this emerging field. Areas covered: Last ten years of publications (till June 2020) in magnetic molecularly imprinted polymeric nanoparticles for application as smart-drug-delivery systems in chemotherapy.