Delivering more for less: nanosized, minimal-carrier and pharmacoactive drug delivery systems

• Published in: Advanced drug delivery reviews Vol. 179; p. 113994
• Main Authors: Etter, Emma L., Mei, Kuo-Ching, Nguyen, Juliane
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.12.2021
• Subjects: Bioactive materials; Cancer; Carrier-free; DNA - administration & dosage; Drug Carriers - therapeutic use; Drug self-delivery; Drug Stability; Humans; Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System - administration & dosage; Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System - chemistry; Nanoparticle Drug Delivery System - therapeutic use; Nucleic acids; Particle Size; Pharmacokinetics; Prodrugs; Protein nanoparticle; Proteins - administration & dosage; RNA - administration & dosage; CSAN; PNA; AIEgen; VES; CPT; EPR; UA; MTX; MDR; RBM; HCPT; HSPC; PBS; MCDDS; RNAi; DCA; Drug self-delivery; Nucleic acids; DOX; GEM; Protein nanoparticle; PBACS; MAN; NP; NR; CXCR4; DTX; Ir; PDA; Bioactive materials; DDS; OA; PTX; PD-L1; SS; PDT; DSPE; DSPG; siRNA; ICD; PEG; Ce6; scFv; Carrier-free; NIR; HA; API; Pharmacokinetics; HER2; Cancer; Cb
• ISSN: 0169-409X; 1872-8294; 1872-8294
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113994

[Display omitted] •Minimal-carrier and pharmacoactive nano-drug delivery systems are an emerging trend.•Balance-designed, minimal-carrier nanoparticle systems are summarized and discussed.•Bioactive carrier materials improve specificity, efficacy, and safety. Traditional nanoparticle carriers such as liposomes, micelles, and polymeric vehicles improve drug delivery by protecting, stabilizing, and increasing the circulatory half-life of the encapsulated drugs. However, traditional drug delivery systems frequently suffer from poor drug loading and require an excess of carrier materials. This carrier material excess poses an additional systemic burden through accumulation, if not degradable the need for metabolism, and potential toxicity. To address these shortcomings, minimal-carrier nanoparticle systems and pharmacoactive carrier materials have been developed. Both solutions provide drug delivery systems in which the majority of the nanoparticle is pharmacologically active. While minimal-carrier and pharmacoactive drug delivery systems can improve drug loading, they can also suffer from poor stability. Here, we review minimal-carrier and pharmacoactive delivery systems, discuss ongoing challenges and outline opportunities to translate minimal-carrier and pharmacoactive drug delivery systems into the clinic.