Affiliations 

  • 1 a Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biological Sciences , Quaid-i-Azam University , Islamabad , Pakistan
  • 2 b Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy , Universiti Teknologi MARA , Puncak Alam , Malaysia
  • 3 c Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy , Umm Al-Qura University , Makkah , Saudi Arabia
  • 4 e Tsukuba Life Science Innovation Program (T-LSI), University of Tsukuba , Tsukuba , Japan
  • 5 f Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia , Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
Artif Cells Nanomed Biotechnol, 2018 Dec;46(8):1967-1980.
PMID: 29082766 DOI: 10.1080/21691401.2017.1397001

Abstract

This review aims to overview and critically analyses recent developments in achieving tumour-specific delivery of anticancer agents, maximizing anticancer efficacy, and mitigating tumour progression and off-target effects. Stemming from critical needs to develop target-specific delivery vehicles in cancer therapy, various hyaluronic acid (HA)-conjugated nanomedicines have been fabricated owing to their biocompatibility, safety, tumour-specific targetability of drugs and genes, and proficient interaction with cluster-determinant-44 (CD44) receptors over-expressed on the surface of tumour cells. HA-based conjugation or surface modulation of anticancer drugs encapsulated nanocarriers have shown promising efficacy against the various types of carcinomas of liver, breast, colorectal, pancreatic, lung, skin, ovarian, cervical, head and neck and gastric. The success of this emerging platform is assessed in achieving the rapid internalization of anticancer payloads into the tumour cells, impeding cancer cells division and proliferation, induction of cancer-specific apoptosis and prevention of metastasis (tumour progression). This review extends detailed insight into the engineering of HA-based nanomedicines, characterization, utilization for the diagnosis or treatment of CD44 over-expressing cancer subtypes and emphasizing the transition of nanomedicines to clinical cancer therapy.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Similar publications