title: Nanoparticle therapeutics: Technologies and methods for overcoming cancer.
abstract: It is anticipated that by 2030 approximately 13 million people will die of cancer. Common cancer therapy often fails due to the development of multidrug resistance (MDR), resulting in high morbidity and poor patient prognosis. Nanotechnology seeks to use drug delivery vehicles of 1-100 nm in diameter, made up of several different materials to deliver anti-cancer drugs selectively to cancer cells and potentially overcome MDR. Several technologies exist for manufacturing and functionalizing nanoparticles. When functionalized appropriately, nanoparticles have been shown to overcome several mechanisms of MDR in vivo and in vitro, reduce drug side effects and represent a promising new area of anti-cancer therapy. This review discusses the fundamental concepts of enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect and explores the mechanisms proposed to enhance preferential "retention" in the tumour. The overall objective of this review was to enhance our understanding in the design and development of therapeutic nanoparticles for treatment of cancer.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Brenda Brenner S
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Cerqueira
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lasham
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
authors.forename: Andrew N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Shelling
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand. Electronic address: r.al-kassas@auckland.ac.nz.
authors.forename: Raida
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Al-Kassas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D015195:Drug Design; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D006801:Humans; D053758:Nanoparticles; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents
keywords: Active targeting; Drug delivery; Functionalization; Multidrug resistance; Nanoparticle; Passive targeting; Targeted delivery