Drug delivery systems based on poly(e-caprolactone) for cancer treatment
Metadata
Show full item recordEditorial
Universidad de Granada, Facultad de Farmacia
Materia
Anti-tumor drug Cancer Controlled release Drug carriers Drug delivery Polymeric particles Poly(ε-caprolactone)
Date
2009Referencia bibliográfica
Sáez-Fernández, E.; Ruiz Martínez, M.A.; Arias Mediano, J.L. Drug delivery systems based on poly(e-caprolactone) for cancer treatment. Ars Pharm, 2009; 50(2): 83-96. [http://hdl.handle.net/10481/27466]
Abstract
Chemotherapy agents have little or no specificity over cancer cells, resulting in low therapeutic concentrations at the tumor site (a consequence of a broad systemic distribution),
and severe side effects. With the aim of avoiding cancer therapy failure, several approaches
such as design of new anticancer drugs, chemical engineering of conventional drugs and
development of drug delivery systems have been proposed. The objective is to enhance drug
localization at the tumor region (by controlling its biodistribution profile) and, therefore, to
increase the anti-tumor efficacy (even in multi-drug resistant tumors), while reducing
systemic side effects. One of the most promising approaches to the problem is the
development of drug nanocarriers based on the polymer poly(e-caprolactone). In this review
we will focus our attention on these polymeric colloids, particularly on the most significant
characteristics and formulation procedures, and on their use as nanoplatforms for the delivery
of chemotherapy agents to the tumor site. Furthermore, the most recent in vitro and in vivo investigations on the subject are extensively reviewed.