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Nanomedicine & Nanotechnology DOI: 10.4172/2157-7439.1000e138
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ISSN: 2157-7439

Editorial Open Access

Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers (Liposomes and Micelles) in Cancer Therapy

Onkar S. Vaze*
100 Corporate Drive, South Plainfield, New Jersey, U.S.A., 07080

Editorial such technologies. With these stakeholders working in harmony, it is

possible to steer future research to obtain nanomedicine products that
Fundamental progress in cancer biology has resulted in remarkable are both effective and safe.
advances in diagnosis and cancer therapy. The need now is to
transform this knowledge into effective therapies. The effectiveness of Pharmaceutical nanocarriers such as liposomes and micelles have
chemotherapeutic drugs is severely limited due to the dose-limiting the potential to create new sources of revenue for the pharmaceutical
toxicity and patient morbidity. In cancer therapy, effective delivery and biotech industries and will improve the life cycle of proprietary drugs
of the drug to the tumor site while avoiding off-site side effects is the [6]. It will revolutionize the field of medicine by creating new therapies.
primary challenge. This challenge can be overcome by targeting the So far, academic departments, new startups and small technology
tumor site selectively to avoid the undesired side-effects at non-target companies seem to have invested more effort in such technologies [6-
sites after the systemic delivery. A good drug delivery system fulfills 14]. Drug delivery has already been revolutionized by nanotechnology.
several pharmaceutical requirements including increase in therapeutic Pharmaceutical nanocarriers have made significant contributions to
effect, good biocompatibility, an ability to accumulate at a targeted site medicine and diagnostics and it will further continue to revolutionize these
and controlled release of the drug at the target site [1]. Nanocarriers fields and further investigations are warranted in this area.
assisted delivery of drugs has become a successful strategy that enhances
the delivery of small molecule and large molecules such a genes and Pharmaceutical
Trade/
Current
peptides or proteins [2]. Different nanocarriers such as nanospheres, Product Drug Company Ref
nanocarriers Status
Name
nanocapsules, liposomes, micelles, dendrimers, quantum dots, solid
Approved
lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, gold nanoparticles, virus Onivyde Irinotecan
Merrimack
in October 14
and virus-like nanoparticles have been explored for the delivery of Pharmaceuticals
2015
small molecules and large molecules therapeutics. Approved
Vincristine Spectrum
Maroqbio in October 12
Liposomes and micelles are the most extensively studied sulfate Pharamceuticals
2012
and understood pharmaceutical nanocarriers. Cholesterol and Approved
Doxil Doxorubicin Janssen Biotech 7
phospholipid molecules, that normally form cell membranes, generate in 1995
liposomes which are vesicular nanostructures. Therapeutic liposomes Liposomes Phase III
are 50-200 nm in size and can be loaded with water soluble therapeutic Takeda (USA)
Mepact Mifamurtide 9
Pharmaceuticals Approved
agents in the aqueous core and water insoluble therapeutic agents in in Europe
phospholipid (hydrophobic) bilayer. Micelles are colloidal dispersion siRNA
with a particle size between 5-100 nm. For pharmaceuticals with poor against
solubility, Micelles can improve the bioavailability and solubility. ALN- VEGF and Alnylam
Phase I 8
Therapeutic agents in conjunction with nanocarriers such as liposomes VSP02 kinesin Pharmaceuticals
spindle
and micelles result in better pharmacokinetic properties of the protein
carrier-loaded drugs thereby improving therapeutic activity. These Approved
systems provide easier control, composition, size and in vivo stability (South
Genexol- Samyang
in comparison with other drug delivery systems [3]. Furthermore, PM
Paclitaxel
Biopharma
Korea) 7
preparation is considerably simpler and also small amounts of a Phase II
(USA)
targeting component can be attached to a these pharmaceutical
Osamnia
nanocarriers. Thus, the fundamentals of liposomal and micellar Micelles Paclical Paclitaxel
Pharamceutical
Phase III 13
nanocarrier and their biological interactions are well studied, and aids NC 6004 Cisplatin Nanocarrier Phase II 10
to design such nanocarriers with specific drug delivery, targeting and Nippon Kayaku
release characteristics. Lipid-or polymer-based delivery of therapeutic NK012 SN-38 Phase II 11
Co. Ltd
agent is the basic and simple nanotechnology platform which has Supratek
SP1049C Doxorubicin Phase II 7
found the most success in the clinics (Table 1). Pharmaceuticals

Although an extensive number of scientific publications regarding Table 1: Selected list of nanomedicines in oncology.
these pharmaceutical nanocarriers exist, the translation of these
pharmaceutical nanocarriers has been slow in comparison to that
for small molecule drugs [4]. Lack of clear regulatory guidelines as *Corresponding authors: Vaze OS, 100 Corporate Drive, South Plainfield, NJ
well as technical issues are factors limiting the clinical application of 08863, USA, Tel: 1 9089129255; E-mail: [email protected]
nanomedicines [5]. Received May 03, 2016; Accepted May 05, 2016; Published May 12, 2016

As opposed to conventional drugs, the development of these Citation: Vaze OS (2016) Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers (Liposomes and
Micelles) in Cancer Therapy. J Nanomed Nanotechnol 7: e138. doi:10.4172/2157-
technologies (nanomedicine/nanocarriers) combine expert knowledge
7439.1000e138
from the fields of Chemistry, Biology and Physics. The products of
these collaborations are wide ranging in concept and design. This Copyright: © 2016 Vaze OS. This is an open-access article distributed under the
terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted
conjunction of various academic disciplines in addition to a concerted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and
effort by regulatory bodies and industry is required for advances in source are credited.

J Nanomed Nanotechnol Volume 7 • Issue 3 • 1000e138

ISSN: 2157-7439 JNMNT, an open access journal
Citation: Vaze OS (2016) Pharmaceutical Nanocarriers (Liposomes and Micelles) in Cancer Therapy. J Nanomed Nanotechnol 7: e138.
doi:10.4172/2157-7439.1000e138

Page 2 of 2

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J Nanomed Nanotechnol Volume 7 • Issue 3 • 1000e138

ISSN: 2157-7439 JNMNT, an open access journal