Developments in the use of nanocapsules in oncology

Abstract

The application of nanotechnology to medicine can provide important benefits, especially in oncology, a fact that has resulted in the emergence of a new field called Nanooncology. Nanoparticles can be engineered to incorporate a wide variety of chemotherapeutic or diagnostic agents. A nanocapsule is a vesicular system that exhibits a typical core-shell structure in which active molecules are confined to a reservoir or within a cavity that is surrounded by a polymer membrane or coating. Delivery systems based on nanocapsules are usually transported to a targeted tumor site and then release their contents upon change in environmental conditions. An effective delivery of the therapeutic agent to the tumor site and to the infiltrating tumor cells is difficult to achieve in many cancer treatments. Therefore, new devices are being developed to facilitate intratumoral distribution, to protect the active agent from premature degradation and to allow its sustained and controlled release. This review focuses on recent studies on the use of nanocapsules for cancer therapy and diagnosis.

Figure 1. Schematic examples of nanocapsular structures. PEG = polyethylene glycol; LNC = lipid nanocapsules; DESPE-mPEG2000 = 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine-N-[methoxy-(polyethyleneglycol)-2000].