title: Liposomal forms of anticancer agents beyond anthracyclines: present and future perspectives.
abstract: Liposomes are widely used as delivery systems of cytotoxic drugs. The encapsulation into liposomes improves pharmacological properties and as a result therapeutic index and outcomes. To date, liposomal vincristine and cytarabine are approved and marketed for intravenous and intrathecal administration, respectively. The main goal of this review is to examine the clinical use and pharmacological properties, as well as the safety of liposomal forms of less widely used liposomal forms of anticancer agents compared to their conventional forms and to present data regarding clinical development of other liposomal agents. Liposomal forms of cytarabine and vincristine are less widely used and unknown compared to liposomal anthracyclines, because they are approved only for specific indications and only in the United States.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Hygeia Hospital , Athens, Marousi , Greece .
authors.forename: Apostolos
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papachristos
authors.forename: Natassa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pippa
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ioannidis
authors.forename: Gregory
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sivolapenko
authors.forename: Costas
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Demetzos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry*; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D018943:Anthracyclines; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D054316:Biomarkers, Pharmacological; D008081:Liposomes
keywords: Anthracyclines; cancer chemotherapy; cytarabine; vincristine