Emerging nanomedicine-based therapeutics for hematogenous metastatic cascade inhibition: Interfering with the crosstalk between "seed and soil".
10.1016/j.apsb.2020.11.024
- Author:
Junyu WU
1
;
Yang LONG
1
;
Man LI
1
;
Qin HE
1
Author Information
1. Key Laboratory of Drug-Targeting and Drug Delivery System of the Education Ministry, Sichuan Engineering Laboratory for Plant-Sourced Drug and Sichuan Research Center for Drug Precision Industrial Technology, West China School of Pharmacy Sichuan University, Chengdu 610064, China.
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Circulating tumor cells;
Drug delivery systems;
Metastatic cascade;
Nanomedicine;
Premetastatic niche;
Seed and soil;
Tumor metastasis;
Tumor microenvironment
- From:
Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B
2021;11(8):2286-2305
- CountryChina
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Despite considerable progresses in cancer treatment, tumor metastasis is still a thorny issue, which leads to majority of cancer-related deaths. In hematogenous metastasis, the concept of "seed and soil" suggests that the crosstalk between cancer cells (seeds) and premetastatic niche (soil) facilitates tumor metastasis. Considerable efforts have been dedicated to inhibit the tumor metastatic cascade, which is a highly complicated process involving various pathways and biological events. Nonetheless, satisfactory therapeutic outcomes are rarely observed, since it is a great challenge to thwart this multi-phase process. Recent advances in nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have shown great potential in the field of anti-metastasis, especially compared with conventional treatment methods, which are limited by serious side effects and poor efficacy. In this review, we summarized various factors involved in each phase of the metastatic cascade ranging from the metastasis initiation to colonization. Then we reviewed current approaches of targeting these factors to stifle the metastatic cascade, including modulating primary tumor microenvironment, targeting circulating tumor cells, regulating premetastatic niche and eliminating established metastasis. Additionally, we highlighted the multi-phase targeted drug delivery systems, which hold a better chance to inhibit metastasis. Besides, we demonstrated the limitation and future perspectives of nanomedicine-based anti-metastasis strategies.
