41
views
0
recommends
+1 Recommend
1 collections
    0
    shares
      • Record: found
      • Abstract: found
      • Article: found
      Is Open Access

      Assessment of the Evolution of Cancer Treatment Therapies

      review-article

      Read this article at

      ScienceOpenPublisherPMC
      Bookmark
          There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

          Abstract

          Cancer therapy has been characterized throughout history by ups and downs, not only due to the ineffectiveness of treatments and side effects, but also by hope and the reality of complete remission and cure in many cases. Within the therapeutic arsenal, alongside surgery in the case of solid tumors, are the antitumor drugs and radiation that have been the treatment of choice in some instances. In recent years, immunotherapy has become an important therapeutic alternative, and is now the first choice in many cases. Nanotechnology has recently arrived on the scene, offering nanostructures as new therapeutic alternatives for controlled drug delivery, for combining imaging and treatment, applying hyperthermia, and providing directed target therapy, among others. These therapies can be applied either alone or in combination with other components (antibodies, peptides, folic acid, etc.). In addition, gene therapy is also offering promising new methods for treatment. Here, we present a review of the evolution of cancer treatments, starting with chemotherapy, surgery, radiation and immunotherapy, and moving on to the most promising cutting-edge therapies (gene therapy and nanomedicine). We offer an historical point of view that covers the arrival of these therapies to clinical practice and the market, and the promises and challenges they present.

          Related collections

          Most cited references121

          • Record: found
          • Abstract: found
          • Article: not found

          The protein kinase complement of the human genome.

          G. Manning (2002)
          We have catalogued the protein kinase complement of the human genome (the "kinome") using public and proprietary genomic, complementary DNA, and expressed sequence tag (EST) sequences. This provides a starting point for comprehensive analysis of protein phosphorylation in normal and disease states, as well as a detailed view of the current state of human genome analysis through a focus on one large gene family. We identify 518 putative protein kinase genes, of which 71 have not previously been reported or described as kinases, and we extend or correct the protein sequences of 56 more kinases. New genes include members of well-studied families as well as previously unidentified families, some of which are conserved in model organisms. Classification and comparison with model organism kinomes identified orthologous groups and highlighted expansions specific to human and other lineages. We also identified 106 protein kinase pseudogenes. Chromosomal mapping revealed several small clusters of kinase genes and revealed that 244 kinases map to disease loci or cancer amplicons.
            Bookmark
            • Record: found
            • Abstract: found
            • Article: not found

            Nanoparticles in medicine: therapeutic applications and developments.

            Nanotechnology is the understanding and control of matter generally in the 1-100 nm dimension range. The application of nanotechnology to medicine, known as nanomedicine, concerns the use of precisely engineered materials at this length scale to develop novel therapeutic and diagnostic modalities. Nanomaterials have unique physicochemical properties, such as ultra small size, large surface area to mass ratio, and high reactivity, which are different from bulk materials of the same composition. These properties can be used to overcome some of the limitations found in traditional therapeutic and diagnostic agents.
              Bookmark
              • Record: found
              • Abstract: found
              • Article: not found

              Magnetic nanoparticles for theragnostics.

              Engineered magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) represent a cutting-edge tool in medicine because they can be simultaneously functionalized and guided by a magnetic field. Use of MNPs has advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), guided drug and gene delivery, magnetic hyperthermia cancer therapy, tissue engineering, cell tracking and bioseparation. Integrative therapeutic and diagnostic (i.e., theragnostic) applications have emerged with MNP use, such as MRI-guided cell replacement therapy or MRI-based imaging of cancer-specific gene delivery. However, mounting evidence suggests that certain properties of nanoparticles (e.g., enhanced reactive area, ability to cross cell and tissue barriers, resistance to biodegradation) amplify their cytotoxic potential relative to molecular or bulk counterparts. Oxidative stress, a 3-tier paradigm of nanotoxicity, manifests in activation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) (tier I), followed by a proinflammatory response (tier II) and DNA damage leading to cellular apoptosis and mutagenesis (tier III). Invivo administered MNPs are quickly challenged by macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system (RES), resulting in not only neutralization of potential MNP toxicity but also reduced circulation time necessary for MNP efficacy. We discuss the role of MNP size, composition and surface chemistry in their intracellular uptake, biodistribution, macrophage recognition and cytotoxicity, and review current studies on MNP toxicity, caveats of nanotoxicity assessments and engineering strategies to optimize MNPs for biomedical use.
                Bookmark

                Author and article information

                Journal
                Cancers (Basel)
                Cancers (Basel)
                Cancers
                Cancers
                Molecular Diversity Preservation International (MDPI)
                2072-6694
                September 2011
                12 August 2011
                : 3
                : 3
                : 3279-3330
                Affiliations
                [1. ] Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón (INA), Mariano Esquillor, Edif. I+D, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Spain; E-Mails: arruebom@ 123456unizar.es (M.A.); bsaez@ 123456unizar.es (B.S.); jjlambea@ 123456hotmail.com (J.L.); atreszar@ 123456unizar.es (A.T.)
                [2. ] CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Zaragoza 50018, Spain; E-Mail: nvilaboa.hulp@ 123456salud.madrid.org (N.V.)
                [3. ] Hospital Universitario La Paz-IdiPAZ, Paseo de la Castellana 261, Madrid 28046, Spain
                [4. ] Servicio de Oncología Médica, Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa, Avda. San Juan Bosco 50009, Zaragoza, Spain
                [5. ] Instituto Aragonés de Ciencias de la Salud (I+CS), Avda. Gómez Laguna, 25, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
                [6. ] Lonza Biologics Porriño, A relva s/n, Porriño (Pontevedra) 36410, Spain; E-Mail: monica.valladares@ 123456lonza.com (M.V.)
                [7. ] Immunology Department, Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, Campus Lagoas Marcosende, Vigo (Pontevedra) 36310, Spain
                Author notes
                [* ]Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: africa@ 123456uvigo.es ; Tel.: +34-986812625; Fax: +34-986-812556.
                Article
                cancers-03-03279
                10.3390/cancers3033279
                3759197
                24212956
                6f1edcb4-7aa4-452f-ac6c-a2dedb0fe06d
                © 2011 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

                This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).

                History
                : 16 June 2011
                : 07 July 2011
                : 08 August 2011
                Categories
                Review

                cancer,immunotherapy,nanotechnology,gene therapy,nanomedicine

                Comments

                Comment on this article