• Effect of nanomedicine mechanical properties on tumor targeting delivery
  • Iman Amanizadeh,1 Afagh zamen Ghadirli,2 Mohammad Hossein Sharifi Fard,3 Amin Hajhosseini,4,*
    1. Student Research Committee, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
    2. Student Research Committee, Islamic Azad University of Shahrood, Shahrood, Iran
    3. Student Research Committee, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
    4. Student Research Committee, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran


  • Introduction: Conventional antitumor managements do not have precise results and are associated with serious risks. These cases cannot completely eliminate the tumor and in addition, they have severe side effects. But recent advances in nanotechnology have led to the rapid development of various nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems (including liposomes, polymeric carriers, metal nanoparticles, carbon nanostructures, etc.) to deliver therapeutic agents especially to solid tumors. Nanomedicines circulate in the body and are partially absorbed by macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system. Then, they continue to penetrate and release drugs into the tumor. Finally, they accumulate in the tumor and have therapeutic effects. Size of nanomaterials below 100 nm and poor clearance of nanomaterials at the tumor site. Both allow enhanced penetration and retention (EPR) of NPs in the tumor. Improved bioavailability of insoluble drugs, increased antitumor therapeutic effect, and increased patient compliance are just some of the advantages of NPs, but recent studies have raised questions about the true benefits of this technique. Nanoparticles must overcome several complex biological barriers, including high interstitial fluid pressure, dense tumor extracellular matrix, blood flow limitation, etc., to successfully eradicate the tumor. This is why only 0.7% of NPs reach the tumor site.
  • Methods: In this systematic review, the data required for this study were collected using keywords and based on reliable databases such as Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and ProQuest. In this study, our statistical population includes all articles registered until 2022. After reviewing the relevant findings and evaluating the quality of the obtained data, 17 articles were analyzed.
  • Results: Considering the obstacles mentioned for the penetration of nanoparticles into the tumor, various physicochemical parameters of nanoparticles have been studied to increase tumor penetration. NP size is one of the determining factors, the optimal value of which is between 10 and 50 nm. Anti-angiogenic therapy that can normalize tumor vasculature has been proposed as a means to improve NP delivery to tumors. Blockade of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 in mammary tumors greatly improves the delivery of small (12 nm) NPs. Another advanced combination technique is extracellular matrix (ECM)-degrading enzymes such as losartan, which reduces tumor collagen content and successfully enhances the delivery of NPs such as Doxil. Two other methods are: different expression of receptors (such as folic acid receptor, integrin, etc.) on the surface of normal and malignant cells and modifying the surface of nanoparticles with polyethylene glycol and covering them with cell membrane. Self-assembled peptide nanohydrogels (such as peptides with b-sheet structure, peptides with b-hairpin structure, etc.) are currently the most efficient nanocarriers for antitumor drug delivery. Peptide nanohydrogels have tumor inhibition properties and localization ability, and they have high injectability with intratumoral delivery.
  • Conclusion: The focus of cancer nanotherapies is expected to expand in the coming years due to the multifunctional design and functionality of nanomaterials. To achieve the most favorable pharmacokinetics, delivery to tumors with appropriate time resolution and taking into account the local microenvironmental conditions of tumors should be considered. The development of new nanomaterials will be an important driver for progress in this field. However, a better understanding of the fundamental processes involved is necessary to overcome major obstacles in cancer nanomedicine, and we can also consider various mutually limiting factors. However, there are still some important questions that need to be answered, such as what technology do we need to safely and precisely manipulate nanoparticles? And what are the retention effects caused by tumor lymphatic drainage? Etc.
  • Keywords: Drug Delivery Systems, Neoplasms, nanomedicine