Nanotech Seminar Series

Ruth Duncan, Ph.D.
Professor of Cell Biology and Drug Delivery
Director, Centre for Polymer Therapeutics
Welsh School of Pharmacy
Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom

Location: Natcher Conference Center, Room E1/E2
NIH Bethesda, Maryland
Date:September 27, 2005
Time:3:00pm - 4:00pm ET

Abstract:
Anticancer Nanomedicines: Current Status And Future Opportunities

There is increasing anticipation that nanotechnology, as applied to medicine, will bring significant advances in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. This has prompted many governmental and funding agencies to strategically review the field¹, and the primary objectives have been to ascertain current status, to establish a common terminology, to assess potential benefits and risks and to establish priorities for future funding initiatives. When a field suddenly becomes fashionable, it is important to keep perspective and, most importantly, distinguish the science fact from science fiction.

Although not widely appreciated, progress in the development of nano-sized hybrid therapeutics and nanosized drug delivery systems over the past decade has been remarkable^2-4. Routine clinical use and clinical development of nano-sized drug delivery vectors including liposomes, antibody conjugates, nanoparticles and polymer therapeutics as anticancer treatments is growing rapidly. Indeed, there is widespread anticipation that application of such nanotechnologies in medicine will bring the paradigm shift needed to improve both cancer diagnosis and therapy.

Polymer-protein conjugates⁵, and polymer-drug conjugates⁶ represent two new classes of anticancer drug that are already showing significant promise, both as single agents and as components of combination therapy. The current status of this class of agents will be reviewed in more detail.

1. NIH/NCI Cancer Nanotechnology Plan July 2004 http://nano.cancer.gov; European Science Foundation Forward Look on Nanomedicine Policy Briefing 23 (2005) www.esf.org Ferrari, M. Cancer nanotechnology: Opportunities and challenges. Nature Rev. Cancer 5 161-171 (2005)
2. Milenic, D.E., Brady, E.D., Brechbiel, M.W. Antibody-targeted radiation cancer therapy. Nature Rev. Drug Disovc. 3, 488-498. (2004).
3. Torchilin, V.P. Recent advances with liposomes as pharmaceutical carriers. Nature Rev. Drug Discov. 4, 145-160 (2005).
4. Brigger, I., Dubernet, C., Couvreur, P. Nanoparticles in cancer therapy and diagnosis Adv. Drug Del. Rev.54, 631-651 (2002)
5. Harris, J. M. & Chess, R. B. Effect of pegylation on pharmaceuticals. Nature Rev. Drug Discov.2, 214-221 (2003).
6. Duncan, R. The Dawning Era of Polymer Therapeutics. Nature Rev. Drug Discov. 2 347-360. (2003); Duncan, R. Polymer-Drug Conjugates. In: Handbook of Anticancer Drug Development, D. Budman, H. Calvert, and E. Rowinsky (Eds.), Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Philadelphia (2003) pp 239-260; Duncan, R. (2005) N-(2-Hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide copolymer conjugates. In: Polymeric Drug Delivery Systems (Ed. Kwon, G.S.) Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, pp 1-92