title: Nab-paclitaxel: a flattering facelift.
abstract: The application of nanotechnology in oncology has increased the efficacy and efficiency of some cytotoxic agents. The paradigm in this field is nab-paclitaxel, a soluble form of paclitaxel that is linked to albumin nanoparticles. The development of nanotechnology as a delivery system for paclitaxel has provided better pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic characteristics, neutralizing its hydrophobicity. This procedure significantly improves the treatment of metastatic breast cancer compared to conventional paclitaxel-based therapies, including other type of cancers such as metastatic pancreatic cancer, stage IIIB-IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and metastatic melanoma. In these last cases, significant differences were found in primary end-points for patients treated with nab-paclitaxel-based chemotherapy compared to those treated with conventional treatments. The application of nanotechnology in cancer treatment may also improve the efficacy of other known drugs, as a result of improved pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles, similarly to paclitaxel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain; Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: antonio.viudez.berral@navarra.es.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Viúdez
authors.affiliation: Oncohematology Research Group, Navarrabiomed-Miguel Servet Foundation, Pamplona, Spain. Electronic address: nramireh@cfnavarra.es.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Hernández-García
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vera
authors.affiliation: Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Oncológicas and Hospital de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hidalgo
mesh_terms: D000418:Albumins / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001692:Biological Transport; D015415:Biomarkers; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D006801:Humans; D050997:Nanomedicine; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: C520255:130-nm albumin-bound paclitaxel; D000418:Albumins; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015415:Biomarkers; D017239:Paclitaxel
keywords: Breast cancer; Nab-paclitaxel; Nanomedicine; Nanotechnology; Pancreatic cancer; SPARC