Abstract
There is, today, great need for new systems and strategies for therapeutic applications that will lead to improvements in patient conditions and prognoses, especially in complex diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Recently, polymer nanocarriers have been developed to protect and transport active compounds to pathological sites more efficiently than free compounds in terms of stability, amount required, localization and efficacy. There are two strategies to deliver active compounds: conventional drug delivery systems based on transport and release of active compounds in biological compartments and nanoreactors that transport active compounds and permit them to act in situ, behaving like rudimentary artificial organelles. Here, we present both strategies with their advantages and limitations, and indicate how they can contribute to therapeutic improvement. We focus on presenting the design and development of polymer nanocarriers and nanoreactors as an essential stage of conceiving therapeutic approaches. The properties of the polymer carrier and its behavior under biological conditions dramatically influence the efficacy of the active compound, and thus of the treatment scheme. The key contributions that nanocarriers and nanoreactors could make include protecting active compounds from degradation in biological compartments other than those desired, and concentrating such compounds within their assemblage to allow for multiple deliveries in one single polymer assembly. To efficiently cope with the challenges of complex pathological conditions it is necessary to go one step beyond conventional drug delivery systems by designing and developing nanocarriers that mimic organelles, by combining various active molecules in a single carrier, and even by combining therapeutic agents along with agents for detection, as in a theragnostic approach.
Keywords: Polymeric nanocarriers, nanoreactors, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, drug delivery, efficacy, active compounds, polymer assembly, drug delivery systems, organelles
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:Polymeric Nanocarriers and Nanoreactors: A Survey of Possible Therapeutic Applications
Volume: 18 Issue: 18
Author(s): Ozana Onaca-Fischer, Juan Liu, Mark Inglin and Cornelia G. Palivan
Affiliation:
Keywords: Polymeric nanocarriers, nanoreactors, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, drug delivery, efficacy, active compounds, polymer assembly, drug delivery systems, organelles
Abstract: There is, today, great need for new systems and strategies for therapeutic applications that will lead to improvements in patient conditions and prognoses, especially in complex diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases and cancer. Recently, polymer nanocarriers have been developed to protect and transport active compounds to pathological sites more efficiently than free compounds in terms of stability, amount required, localization and efficacy. There are two strategies to deliver active compounds: conventional drug delivery systems based on transport and release of active compounds in biological compartments and nanoreactors that transport active compounds and permit them to act in situ, behaving like rudimentary artificial organelles. Here, we present both strategies with their advantages and limitations, and indicate how they can contribute to therapeutic improvement. We focus on presenting the design and development of polymer nanocarriers and nanoreactors as an essential stage of conceiving therapeutic approaches. The properties of the polymer carrier and its behavior under biological conditions dramatically influence the efficacy of the active compound, and thus of the treatment scheme. The key contributions that nanocarriers and nanoreactors could make include protecting active compounds from degradation in biological compartments other than those desired, and concentrating such compounds within their assemblage to allow for multiple deliveries in one single polymer assembly. To efficiently cope with the challenges of complex pathological conditions it is necessary to go one step beyond conventional drug delivery systems by designing and developing nanocarriers that mimic organelles, by combining various active molecules in a single carrier, and even by combining therapeutic agents along with agents for detection, as in a theragnostic approach.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Onaca-Fischer Ozana, Liu Juan, Inglin Mark and G. Palivan Cornelia, Polymeric Nanocarriers and Nanoreactors: A Survey of Possible Therapeutic Applications, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2012; 18 (18) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161212800492822
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161212800492822 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Wnt/β-catenin Antagonists: Exploring New Avenues to Trigger Old Drugs
in Alleviating Glioblastoma Multiforme
Current Molecular Pharmacology Oncogene-Directed Therapies as Modulators of Cancer Coagulopathy, Angiogenesis and Tumor-Vascular Interface
Current Signal Transduction Therapy Dual Targeting of Autophagy and NF-κB Pathway by PPARγ Contributes to the Inhibitory Effect of Demethoxycurcumin on NLRP3 Inflammasome Priming
Current Molecular Pharmacology miRNAs Highlights in Stem and Cancer Cells
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Lipid-Based Vectors for Therapeutic mRNA-Based Anti-Cancer Vaccines
Current Pharmaceutical Design Inhibitory Effect of Ebselen on Cerebral Acetylcholinesterase Activity In Vitro: Kinetics and Reversibility of Inhibition
Current Pharmaceutical Design CRISPR-Cas9, A Promising Therapeutic Tool for Cancer Therapy: A Review
Protein & Peptide Letters Stability Testing During Development of Nanopharmaceuticals
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology SANTAVAC ™: A Novel Universal Antigen Composition for Developing Cancer Vaccines
Recent Patents on Biotechnology Review of Procedures Used for the Extraction of Anti-Cancer Compounds from Tropical Plants
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Evidence for Complex Binding Profiles and Species Differences at the Translocator Protein (TSPO) (18 kDa)
Current Molecular Medicine Discovering Tumor Suppressor Genes Through Genome-Wide Copy Number Analysis
Current Genomics Chemical Composition and Biological Activities of <i>Croton delpyi, Croton decalvatus</i> and <i>Croton caudatus</i>
The Natural Products Journal Co-delivery Strategies Based on Multifunctional Nanocarriers for Cancer Therapy
Current Drug Metabolism The ‘Other’ Telomerase Inhibitors: Non-G-Quadruplex Interactive Agent, Non-Antisense, Non-Reverse Transcriptase Telomerase Inhibitors
Current Medicinal Chemistry - Anti-Cancer Agents Targeting Glioblastoma: The Current State of Different Therapeutic Approaches
Current Neuropharmacology Reactions of Hydrazones with Lead Tetraacetate in Organic Synthesis
Current Organic Chemistry Ceramide in Chemotherapy of Tumors
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Thalidomide Analogues as Anticancer Drugs
Recent Patents on Anti-Cancer Drug Discovery Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR) Inhibitors as Anti-Cancer Agents
Current Cancer Drug Targets