Current Drug Metabolism - Volume 17, Issue 8, 2016

Background: Tumor microenvironment is so complex that involves in many factors of tumor. Although enhanced permeability and retention effect is a main driving force of tumor targeted nanoparticles, the tumor microenvironment greatly affects the delivery efficiency of nanoparticles. Methods: A careful search of the scientific database was performed to find the tumor microenvironment related papers. Then the papers were co Read More

Background: Glioblastoma multiforme, one of the most aggressive brain tumors, has a very poor clinical outcome. Despite the introduction of the alkylating reagent temozolomide (TMZ) to surgery and radiotherapy, the survival of patients could only be modestly increased up to less than 15 months. Therefore, innovative treatment strategies are urgently needed to improve survival of glioma patients. Objective: Superparama Read More

Background: Malignant brain tumor is a highly challenging disease for diagnosis, treatment, and management. Cytotoxicity, distribution and the ability to cross blood brain barrier are some of the most significant issues for the chemotherapy of brain tumors. Nanotechnology has been widely exploited in drug delivery with great potential in improving the drug efficiency and efficacy. The advent of nanotechnology would greatly Read More

Background: Rapid advancement over the past few decades in cancer immunotherapy provides life-saving options for cancer patients. However, commonly used strategies including small molecules and various biomacromolecule-based therapeutics suffer from serious off-target toxicity and a lack of stability in the circulation. Objective: To overcome these problems, various nanoparticulate delivery systems have been develope Read More

Background: Nanomedicine is an emerging therapeutic modality. Nanoparticles (NPs) are potential vehicles for delivery of anticancer therapeutics. NPs can be designed to facilitate tumor drug delivery both by passive and active targeting mechanisms. Passive targeting of NPs to tumors can be achieved through the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. Meanwhile, actively targeted NPs can be designed based on tw Read More

Objective: To give an in-depth overview about the tumor and its surrounding microenvironment influencing distribution and elimination of nanoformulations. Mehtods: This up-to-date review will summarize the microenvironmental components and their influence on the various factors related to nanoformulations and tumor which affect the penetration, distribution, regulation and clearance of nanoformulations from th Read More

Background: Various transporters, including efflux transporters and uptake transporters, play an important role in the pharmacokinetics of drugs. Currently, studies suggest that several antibiotics also serve as substrates for transporters. In addition, these antibiotics are usually combined with other drugs to treat diseases, more effectively. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on the role of transporters in pharmacokinetics and dr Read More

Background: P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a well known ATP dependent efflux membrane transporter, has been attracting considerable interests of medical researchers due to its efflux pump effect being a primary cause of multidrug resistance (MDR) and poor bioavailability (BA) of anticancer agents. How to resolve the aforesaid problems has become the research hot-points in the medical and pharmaceutical fields. The past t Read More

The salusins are bioactive peptides with hemodynamic effects. They play a role in hypertension, atherogenesis and cardiovascular diseases. In this review we focus on new actions, which are related to the regulation of blood pressure. Decrease in salusin-α and the increase in salusin-β concentrations are known to contribute to the development of the metabolic syndrome and atherosclerosis. Microinjections of salusin-β Read More