1. J Control Release. 2010 Dec 1;148(2):135-46. Epub 2010 Aug 24.

To exploit the tumor microenvironment: Passive and active tumor targeting of
nanocarriers for anti-cancer drug delivery.

Danhier F, Feron O, Préat V.

Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain Drug Research Institute, Unit of
Pharmaceutics, UCL-FARG 7320, Avenue E. Mounier, B-1200, Brussels, Belgium.

Because of the particular characteristics of the tumor microenvironment and tumor
angiogenesis, it is possible to design drug delivery systems that specifically
target anti-cancer drugs to tumors. Most of the conventional chemotherapeutic
agents have poor pharmacokinetics profiles and are distributed non-specifically
in the body leading to systemic toxicity associated with serious side effects.
Therefore, the development of drug delivery systems able to target the tumor site
is becoming a real challenge that is currently addressed. Nanomedicine can reach 
tumor passively through the leaky vasculature surrounding the tumors by the
Enhanced Permeability and Retention effect whereas ligands grafted at the surface
of nanocarriers allow active targeting by binding to the receptors overexpressed 
by cancer cells or angiogenic endothelial cells. This review is divided into two 
parts: the first one describes the tumor microenvironment and the second one
focuses on the exploitation and the understanding of these characteristics to
design new drug delivery systems targeting the tumor. Delivery of conventional
chemotherapeutic anti-cancer drugs is mainly discussed.


PMID: 20797419 [PubMed - in process]