title: Reinvention of chemotherapy: drug conjugates and nanoparticles.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent advances in nanotechnology have addressed some of the issues related to lack of selectivity and nonspecific toxicities associated with conventional chemotherapy. Nanoparticles are therapeutic carriers that can be fine tuned for specific application and for passive or active tumor targeting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although the nanoparticle field is rapidly expanding, there are to date only six nanoparticle-based drug delivery platforms and two antibody-drug conjugates that are clinically approved for cancer therapy. Here, we review the clinical data of liposomal anthracyclines, nanoparticle formulations of paclitaxel and trastuzumab emtansine. We then briefly comment on efficacy and safety issues of nanoparticles, as well as on the next-generation nanoparticles for cancer therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The emerging development of cancer nanotechnology offers the opportunity of reinvestigating the potential of cytotoxic agents, improving tumor targeting and drug delivery, leading to better safety profile and antitumor activity. Adding specificity to nanoparticles may allow personalization of cancer therapy using chemotherapy.
authors.affiliation: aService d'oncologie médicale, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) bFaculté de biologie et de médecine, Université de Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Tu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nguyen-Ngoc
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Raymond
mesh_terms: D000080044:Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine; D000068196:Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000418:Albumins; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004337:Drug Carriers / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008453:Maytansine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D036103:Nanotechnology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000068878:Trastuzumab
chemical_list: D000068196:Albumin-Bound Paclitaxel; D000418:Albumins; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D004337:Drug Carriers; D008453:Maytansine; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D017239:Paclitaxel; D000080044:Ado-Trastuzumab Emtansine