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Review
. 2019 Jun 5;9(6):218.
doi: 10.3390/biom9060218.

Albumin Nanovectors in Cancer Therapy and Imaging

Alessandro Parodi  1 , Jiaxing Miao  2 , Surinder M Soond  3 , Magdalena Rudzińska  3 , Andrey A Zamyatnin Jr  4   5
Affiliations
Review

Albumin Nanovectors in Cancer Therapy and Imaging

Alessandro Parodi et al. Biomolecules. .

Abstract

Albumin nanovectors represent one of the most promising carriers recently generated because of the cost-effectiveness of their fabrication, biocompatibility, safety, and versatility in delivering hydrophilic and hydrophobic therapeutics and diagnostic agents. In this review, we describe and discuss the recent advances in how this technology has been harnessed for drug delivery in cancer, evaluating the commonly used synthesis protocols and considering the key factors that determine the biological transport and the effectiveness of such technology. With this in mind, we highlight how clinical and experimental albumin-based delivery nanoplatforms may be designed for tackling tumor progression or improving the currently established diagnostic procedures.

Keywords: albumin; cancer; drug delivery; nanomedicine.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Tridimensional albumin structure and drug binding sites. The albumin tridimensional structure (source National Center for Biotechnology Information- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/) is composed of three domains (I–III) highlighted with different colors (light blue—domain I; green—domain II; pink—domain III). Other binding sites interacting with ions, small molecules, and peptides are not shown.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Albumin nanovector (ANV) synthetic routes, namely: (A) schematic of the working mechanism of a high-pressure homogenization; (B) synthesis through desolvation, followed by crosslinking.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Albumin receptors, as follows: (A) transendothelial transport of ANVs mediated by Gp60; (B) trafficking and endosomal degradation of ANVs mediated by FcRIIIγ, Gp30, and Gp18 in phagocytic cells; (C) Albumin Nanovector recycling in podocytes mediated by FcRn; (D) interaction of secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) favoring ANV accumulation in the extracellular space.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Number of scientific works based on ANVs published since 1978.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Generation of smart environmentally responsive ANVs, namely: pH-responsive ANVs were generated via the classical denaturation protocols. The system was doped with zinc to generate coordination bonds between the ANVs and the therapeutic mitoxantrone. This bond is stable at a physiologic pH, but at the acidic pH of the tumor microenvironment, it results in being unstable, allowing for the release of the therapeutic.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Benefits of albumin on the surface of nanocarriers.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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