"Combo" nanomedicine: Co-delivery of multi-modal therapeutics for efficient, targeted, and safe cancer therapy

Jessica A Kemp; Min Suk Shim; Chan Yeong Heo; Young Jik Kwon

doi:10.1016/j.addr.2015.10.019

"Combo" nanomedicine: Co-delivery of multi-modal therapeutics for efficient, targeted, and safe cancer therapy

Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2016 Mar 1:98:3-18. doi: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.10.019. Epub 2015 Nov 4.

Authors

Jessica A Kemp¹, Min Suk Shim², Chan Yeong Heo³, Young Jik Kwon⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States.
² Division of Bioengineering, Incheon National University, Incheon 406-772, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States; Department of Plastic Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Department of Plastic Surgery, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States; Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science,University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering,University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States. Electronic address: kwonyj@uci.edu.

PMID: 26546465
DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2015.10.019

Abstract

The dynamic and versatile nature of diseases such as cancer has been a pivotal challenge for developing efficient and safe therapies. Cancer treatments using a single therapeutic agent often result in limited clinical outcomes due to tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance. Combination therapies using multiple therapeutic modalities can synergistically elevate anti-cancer activity while lowering doses of each agent, hence, reducing side effects. Co-administration of multiple therapeutic agents requires a delivery platform that can normalize pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the agents, prolong circulation, selectively accumulate, specifically bind to the target, and enable controlled release in target site. Nanomaterials, such as polymeric nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles/cages/shells, and carbon nanomaterials, have the desired properties, and they can mediate therapeutic effects different from those generated by small molecule drugs (e.g., gene therapy, photothermal therapy, photodynamic therapy, and radiotherapy). This review aims to provide an overview of developing multi-modal therapies using nanomaterials ("combo" nanomedicine) along with the rationale, up-to-date progress, further considerations, and the crucial roles of interdisciplinary approaches.

Keywords: Multi-modal therapy; Nanomedicine; Synergistic anti-cancer effects.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Antineoplastic Agents / administration & dosage
Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use
Combined Modality Therapy
Drug Delivery Systems
Humans
Nanomedicine
Nanostructures / administration & dosage*
Nanostructures / therapeutic use
Neoplasms / therapy*

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents