Biological Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment

Dear Colleagues,

Over the last two decades, a large number of nanoparticle delivery systems has been developed and approved for clinical use in cancer diagnosis and therapy. The importance of these macromolecules is based on their nanoscale attribute, being accumulated in the tumor tissue through a passive mechanism known as enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect because of the increased vascular permeability in the tumor, compared with the commonly used small molecule drugs that present widespread biodistribution, low specificity and high toxicity.
Biological nanoparticles predominantly fall into two categories: nanoparticles for gene therapy applications or for delivery of small molecule drugs for cancer treatment. They include liposome-, micelles- and protein-based nanoparticles and have biological attractive properties as biocompatibility and biodegradability. Furthermore, the incorporation of active targeting by using molecules (ligands, antibodies, peptides and RNA aptamers) that can be recognized specifically by receptors on the surface of the cell membrane have increased nanoparticle uptake by tumor cells. These biotechnological advances in functionalizing nanoparticles combined with multiple classes of chemotherapy drugs, siRNAs and plasmids for packaging and delivering into tumor cells have improved efficacy and reduced toxicity over conventional cancer treatments.
An exciting scenario has been created; new formulations for conventional chemotherapeutics with new delivery systems or the development of new uses for the existing antitumor drugs.  Therefore, the major challenges are how different combinations of nanoparticle delivery systems can be rationally designed so that safety and efficacy are maximized, and the development of tools to understand and evaluate the biological responses to these nanoparticles.
We invite contributions from scientists working on design, development and characterization of biological nanoparticles and their therapeutic application in cancer. Both original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Dr. María Virtudes Céspedes
Guest Editor

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• cancer therapy
• nanoparticle technology platforms
• nanocarriers
• liposome-based nanoparticles
• protein-based nanoparticles
• drug delivery
• chemotherapeutic drug-based nanoparticles
• targeted nanoparticle drug delivery systems