Most solid tumours are difficult to target with nanoparticles owing to the presence of a vascular barrier. Now, researchers have successfully delivered localized chemotherapy using a fucoidan-based nanoparticle with a high affinity for the cell-surface adhesion protein P-selectin, a molecule expressed on the vascular barrier of a wide variety of human cancers. Researchers used this nanoparticle to deliver doxorubicin to tumours in mice with metastatic melanoma or breast cancer: treatment with fucoidan-doxorubicin nanoparticles resulted in a significant increase in overall survival of these mice, relative to mice treated with non-fucoidan doxorubicin-conjugated nanoparticles, or conventionally delivered chemotherapy. These data indicate a need for further testing of P-selectin targeted therapies.
References
Shamay, Y. et al. P-selectin is a nanotherapeutic delivery target in the tumor microenvironment. Sci. Transl. Med. 8, 345ra87 (2016).
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Sidaway, P. P-selectin guides nanoparticle delivery to tumours. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 13, 528 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.117
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrclinonc.2016.117