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Araújo-Silva H, Teixeira PV, Gomes AC, Lúcio M, Lopes CM. Lyotropic liquid crystalline 2D and 3D mesophases: Advanced materials for multifunctional anticancer nanosystems. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2023; 1878:189011. [PMID: 37923232 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Cancer remains a leading cause of mortality. Despite significant breakthroughs in conventional therapies, treatment is still far from ideal due to high toxicity in normal tissues and therapeutic inefficiency caused by short drug lifetime in the body and resistance mechanisms. Current research moves towards the development of multifunctional nanosystems for delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, bioactives and/or radionuclides that can be combined with other therapeutic modalities, like gene therapy, or imaging to use in therapeutic screening and diagnosis. The preparation and characterization of Lyotropic Liquid Crystalline (LLC) mesophases self-assembled as 2D and 3D structures are addressed, with an emphasis on the unique properties of these nanoassemblies. A comprehensive review of LLC nanoassemblies is also presented, highlighting the most recent advances and their outstanding advantages as drug delivery systems, including tailoring strategies that can be used to overcome cancer challenges. Therapeutic agents loaded in LLC nanoassemblies offer qualitative and quantitative enhancements that are superior to conventional chemotherapy, particularly in terms of preferential accumulation at tumor sites and promoting enhanced cancer cell uptake, lowering tumor volume and weight, improving survival rates, and increasing the cytotoxicity of their loaded therapeutic agents. In terms of quantitative anticancer efficacy, loaded LLC nanoassemblies reduced the IC50 values from 1.4-fold against lung cancer cells to 125-fold against ovarian cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrique Araújo-Silva
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Patricia V Teixeira
- Centro de Física das Universidades do Minho e Porto (CF-UM-UP), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Andreia C Gomes
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Institute of Science and Innovation for Sustainability (IB-S), University of Minho, Campus of Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
| | - Marlene Lúcio
- Centro de Biologia Molecular e Ambiental (CBMA), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal; Centro de Física das Universidades do Minho e Porto (CF-UM-UP), Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal.
| | - Carla M Lopes
- Instituto de Investigação, Inovação e Desenvolvimento (FP-I3ID), Biomedical and Health Sciences Research Unit (FP-BHS), Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, 4200-150 Porto, Portugal; Associate Laboratory i4HB - Institute for Health and Bioeconomy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal; UCIBIO - Applied Molecular Biosciences Unit, MEDTECH, Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal.
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Karki R, Seagle BLL, Nieves-Neira W, Shahabi S. Taxanes in combination with biologic agents for ovarian and breast cancers. Anticancer Drugs 2013; 25:536-54. [PMID: 24300916 DOI: 10.1097/cad.0000000000000056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Taxane-based cytotoxic therapy is commonly prescribed for breast and ovarian cancers. Although these cancers are often sensitive to such therapy, clinical benefit and overall survival are limited owing to the development of chemoresistance and recurrence. Biologic agents that specifically target proteins of growth factor signaling pathways, which are hyperactivated in cancers, offer attractive targets for cancer therapeutics and may work synergistically with standard taxane-based chemotherapy to improve patient outcomes. We review clinical trials of biologic agents--angiogenic, tyrosine kinase, and antibody inhibitors--in combination with taxane-based therapy for ovarian and breast cancers. Many clinical trials have shown promising results. However, some biologic agents still need larger trials to assess safety and efficacy. As research into the heterogeneity and complexity of ovarian and breast cancers improves our understanding of the molecular pathways involved, there is no question that targeted therapies with biologic agents will expand the future array of available cancer therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roshan Karki
- aReproductive Tumor Biology Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Danbury Hospital, Danbury, Connecticut bDivision of Gynecologic Oncology, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, New Jersey, USA
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