Treating Metastatic Cancer with Nanotechnology

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Cancer

Specialty Oncology

Date 2011 Dec 24

PMID 22193407

Citations 332

Authors

Avi Schroeder

Daniel A Heller

Monte M Winslow

James E Dahlman

George W Pratt

Robert Langer

Tyler Jacks

Daniel G Anderson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Metastasis accounts for the vast majority of cancer deaths. The unique challenges for treating metastases include their small size, high multiplicity and dispersion to diverse organ environments. Nanoparticles have many potential benefits for diagnosing and treating metastatic cancer, including the ability to transport complex molecular cargoes to the major sites of metastasis, such as the lungs, liver and lymph nodes, as well as targeting to specific cell populations within these organs. This Review highlights the research, opportunities and challenges for integrating engineering sciences with cancer biology and medicine to develop nanotechnology-based tools for treating metastatic disease.

Citing Articles

Herbal based nanoparticles as a possible and potential treatment of cancer: a review.

Yadav R, Chawra H, Dubey G, Alam M, Kumar V, Sharma P Explor Target Antitumor Ther. 2025; 6:1002285.

PMID: 40061135 PMC: 11885881. DOI: 10.37349/etat.2025.1002285.

Global trends and research hotspots in nanodrug delivery systems for breast cancer therapy: a bibliometric analysis (2013-2023).

Li Y, Liu P, Zhang B, Chen J, Yan Y Discov Oncol. 2025; 16(1):269.

PMID: 40047951 PMC: 11885776. DOI: 10.1007/s12672-025-02014-3.

An pH-driven DNA nanodevice for impeding metastasis by selectively blocking cell signaling.

Yuan K, Meng H, Sun H, Qu L, Li Z, Tan W Natl Sci Rev. 2025; 12(3):nwae471.

PMID: 40041032 PMC: 11879464. DOI: 10.1093/nsr/nwae471.

Injecting hope: the potential of intratumoral immunotherapy for locally advanced and metastatic cancer.

Skalickova M, Hadrava Vanova K, Uher O, Leischner Fialova J, Petrlakova K, Masarik M Front Immunol. 2025; 15:1479483.

PMID: 39850897 PMC: 11754201. DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1479483.

Engineered Bacteria for Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Using Synthetic Biology.

Jin K, Huang Y, Che H, Wu Y Microb Biotechnol. 2025; 18(1):e70080.

PMID: 39801378 PMC: 11725985. DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.70080.

References

Benezra M, Penate-Medina O, Zanzonico P, Schaer D, Ow H, Burns A . Multimodal silica nanoparticles are effective cancer-targeted probes in a model of human melanoma. J Clin Invest. 2011; 121(7):2768-80. PMC: 3223837. DOI: 10.1172/JCI45600. View

Akinc A, Querbes W, De S, Qin J, Frank-Kamenetsky M, Narayanannair Jayaprakash K . Targeted delivery of RNAi therapeutics with endogenous and exogenous ligand-based mechanisms. Mol Ther. 2010; 18(7):1357-64. PMC: 2911264. DOI: 10.1038/mt.2010.85. View

Timko B, Dvir T, Kohane D . Remotely triggerable drug delivery systems. Adv Mater. 2010; 22(44):4925-43. DOI: 10.1002/adma.201002072. View

Ma L, Teruya-Feldstein J, Weinberg R . Tumour invasion and metastasis initiated by microRNA-10b in breast cancer. Nature. 2007; 449(7163):682-8. DOI: 10.1038/nature06174. View

Reddy J, Dorton R, Westrick E, Dawson A, Smith T, Xu L . Preclinical evaluation of EC145, a folate-vinca alkaloid conjugate. Cancer Res. 2007; 67(9):4434-42. DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-0033. View

DAngelica M, Ammori J, Gonen M, Klimstra D, Low P, Murphy L . Folate receptor-α expression in resectable hepatic colorectal cancer metastases: patterns and significance. Mod Pathol. 2011; 24(9):1221-8. DOI: 10.1038/modpathol.2011.82. View

Zhang W, Zhu X, Sun H, Xiong Y, Zhuang P, Xu H . Depletion of tumor-associated macrophages enhances the effect of sorafenib in metastatic liver cancer models by antimetastatic and antiangiogenic effects. Clin Cancer Res. 2010; 16(13):3420-30. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-09-2904. View

Weis S, Cui J, Barnes L, Cheresh D . Endothelial barrier disruption by VEGF-mediated Src activity potentiates tumor cell extravasation and metastasis. J Cell Biol. 2004; 167(2):223-9. PMC: 2172541. DOI: 10.1083/jcb.200408130. View

Gabizon A, Shmeeda H, Barenholz Y . Pharmacokinetics of pegylated liposomal Doxorubicin: review of animal and human studies. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2003; 42(5):419-36. DOI: 10.2165/00003088-200342050-00002. View

10.

Yang W, Luo D, Wang S, Wang R, Chen R, Liu Y . TMTP1, a novel tumor-homing peptide specifically targeting metastasis. Clin Cancer Res. 2008; 14(17):5494-502. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-08-0233. View

11.

Pecot C, Calin G, Coleman R, Lopez-Berestein G, Sood A . RNA interference in the clinic: challenges and future directions. Nat Rev Cancer. 2010; 11(1):59-67. PMC: 3199132. DOI: 10.1038/nrc2966. View

12.

Rabin O, Perez J, Grimm J, Wojtkiewicz G, Weissleder R . An X-ray computed tomography imaging agent based on long-circulating bismuth sulphide nanoparticles. Nat Mater. 2006; 5(2):118-22. DOI: 10.1038/nmat1571. View

13.

Chiang A, Massague J . Molecular basis of metastasis. N Engl J Med. 2008; 359(26):2814-23. PMC: 4189180. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMra0805239. View

14.

Ivkov R, DeNardo S, Daum W, Foreman A, Goldstein R, Nemkov V . Application of high amplitude alternating magnetic fields for heat induction of nanoparticles localized in cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 2005; 11(19 Pt 2):7093s-7103s. DOI: 10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-1004-0016. View

15.

Baenziger J, Fiete D . Galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine-specific endocytosis of glycopeptides by isolated rat hepatocytes. Cell. 1980; 22(2 Pt 2):611-20. DOI: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90371-2. View

16.

Choi H, Ashitate Y, Lee J, Kim S, Matsui A, Insin N . Rapid translocation of nanoparticles from the lung airspaces to the body. Nat Biotechnol. 2010; 28(12):1300-3. PMC: 3058321. DOI: 10.1038/nbt.1696. View

17.

Michaelis K, Hoffmann M, Dreis S, Herbert E, Alyautdin R, Michaelis M . Covalent linkage of apolipoprotein e to albumin nanoparticles strongly enhances drug transport into the brain. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006; 317(3):1246-53. DOI: 10.1124/jpet.105.097139. View

18.

Chanan-Khan A, Szebeni J, Savay S, Liebes L, Rafique N, Alving C . Complement activation following first exposure to pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (Doxil): possible role in hypersensitivity reactions. Ann Oncol. 2003; 14(9):1430-7. DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mdg374. View

19.

Brown D, Ruoslahti E . Metadherin, a cell surface protein in breast tumors that mediates lung metastasis. Cancer Cell. 2004; 5(4):365-74. DOI: 10.1016/s1535-6108(04)00079-0. View

20.

Wang J, Tian S, Petros R, Napier M, DeSimone J . The complex role of multivalency in nanoparticles targeting the transferrin receptor for cancer therapies. J Am Chem Soc. 2010; 132(32):11306-13. PMC: 2923393. DOI: 10.1021/ja1043177. View