Journal of Advanced Research

Journal of Advanced Research

Volume 36, February 2022, Pages 223-247
Journal of Advanced Research

Skin cancer biology and barriers to treatment: Recent applications of polymeric micro/nanostructures

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2021.06.014Get rights and content
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Highlights

  • Skin cancer is a fatal public health concern rising continuously all over the world.

  • Several environmental and genetic risk factors are associated with cutaneous carcinogenesis.

  • Use of nanocarriers for targeted delivery of anticancer agents is the most advanced approach.

  • Polymeric structures are suitable for tumor selective delivery of drugs, genes and imaging agents.

  • Polymeric micro/nanostructures have successfully used for combination anticancer therapies.

Abstract

Background

Skin cancer has been the leading type of cancer worldwide. Melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers are now the most common types of skin cancer that have been reached to epidemic proportion. Based on the rapid prevalence of skin cancers, and lack of efficient drug delivery systems, it is essential to surge the possible ways to prevent or cure the disease.

Aim of review

Although surgical modalities and therapies have been made great progress in recent years, however, there is still an urgent need to alleviate its increased burden. Hence, understanding the precise pathophysiological signaling mechanisms and all other factors of such skin insults will be beneficial for the development of more efficient therapies.

Key scientific concepts of review

In this review, we explained new understandings about onset and development of skin cancer and described its management via polymeric micro/nano carriers-based therapies, highlighting the current key bottlenecks and future prospective in this field. In therapeutic drug/gene delivery approaches, polymeric carriers-based system is the most promising strategy. This review discusses that how polymers have successfully been exploited for development of micro/nanosized systems for efficient delivery of anticancer genes and drugs overcoming all the barriers and limitations associated with available conventional therapies. In addition to drug/gene delivery, intelligent polymeric nanocarriers platforms have also been established for combination anticancer therapies including photodynamic and photothermal, and for theranostic applications. This portfolio of latest approaches could promote the blooming growth of research and their clinical availability.

Keywords

Polymeric nanocarriers
Gene delivery
Microneedles
Drug delivery
Squamous cell carcinoma
Basal cell carcinoma

Abbreviations

SC
Skin cancer
MSC
Melanoma skin cancer
NMSC
Non melanoma skin cancer
NPs
Nano Particles
SCC
Squamous cell Carcinoma
BCC
Basal cell carcinoma
cAMP
Cyclic adenosine monophosphate
MCIR
Melanocortin-1 receptor
CREB
response element-binding protein
HH
Hedgehog
UV
Ultra Violet
PATCH1
Patch
SMO
Smoothen
DDS
Drug delivery system
5-ALA
5-aminolevulinic acid
5-FU
5-fluorouracil
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
BCCs
Basal cell carcinomas
dPG
Dendritic polyglycerol
DIM-D
Di indolyl methane derivative
Gd
Gadolinium
hTERT
Human telomerase reverse transcriptase
HPMC
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose
IPM
Isopropyl myristate
MNPs
Magnetic nanoparticle
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Mn
Manganese
MNs
Microneedles
OTR
Organ transplant recipients
GNR-PEG-MN
PEGylated gold nanorod microneedle
PDT
Photodynamic therapy
PLA-HPG
Poly (d-l-lactic acid)-hyperbranched polyglycerol
PLGA
Poly (lactide-co-glycolide) copolymers
PLA
Poly lactic acid
PLL
Poly (L-lysine)
PCL
Poly (ε-caprolactone)
PAN
Polyacrylonitrile
PAMAM
Poly-amidoamines
PEG
Polyethylene glycol
QDs
Quantum dots
SPIO
Superparamagnetic iron oxide

Cited by (0)

Nazeer Hussain Khan is a PhD student at Henan International Joint Key Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation, School of Life Sciences Henan University China. Before arriving at Henan, Hussain earned his MS in Animal and Human physiology from a Quaid I Azam University Islamabad Pakistan: a prestigious institute of the country. He is actively engaged in exploring the different mechanisms of cancer onset and regulation of nuclear proteins especially PCNP with their potential involvement in cancer cells proliferation, migration and invasion. Up to now, along with laboratory work, he published many scientific articles under the guidance of supervisor.

Maria Mir has earned her PhD in Pharmaceutics from the Department of Pharmacy, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan. Her research is focussing on the development of stimuli responsive polymeric nanoparticles and microneedles for site-specific delivery of drug cargoes. She also worked as a visiting research associate in the Microneedle Drug Delivery Group, School of Pharmacy, Queens University Belfast, United Kingdom, where she had extensive experience in the development of various types of polymeric microneedles and had published her work in Q1 journals.

Lei Qian is MS student of Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation at Henan University China. The research direction is the regulation effect of PCNP on the growth of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells. At present, it has been found that PCNP has an inhibitory effect on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells after overexpression, and the relevant mechanism is being explored to study the effect mechanism of PCNP on the poor prognosis of carcinoma.

Mahnoor Baloch is a postgraduate, young researcher at school of Natural Sciences, National University of Science and Technology Islamabad, Pakistan. She is passionate about caring for the environment and pursuing her career as environmental chemist and activist on current environmental dilemmas related to environmental hazards and radiation as a threat to human health issues including cancer. Cureently, she is exploring about different environmental pollutants and assessing their consequence to human health.

Muhammad Farhan Ali Khan graduated from College of Pharmacy, University of The Punjab, Pakistan. Then, he worked as Research Associate in Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. He has expertise in Solid lipid and Polymeric nanoformulations. He has, also, worked in Transdermal drug delivery. Currently, he is designing a project on Microneedles for transdermal delivery of peptides to treat metabolic diseases.

sim-ur-Rehman is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad, Pakistan since 2014. Dr. Asim’s key interests include nanomedicines, pharmaceutical technology and drug delivery. His research focuses on the development of polymeric micro and nanostructures including microneedles, nanoparticles and nanogels/emulsions for enhancement of drug delivery through skin. He directly supervises numerous PhD, MPhil and graduate students. Currently, he has more than 80 publications including articles in peer-reviewed journals, invited articles, book chapters, conference papers and abstracts related to nanotechnology based polymeric drug delivery systems.

Ebenezeri Erasto Ngowi, a young promising researcher from Tanzania, graduated from the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), and served as a tutorial assistant in the field of animal physiology at the University of Dar es Salaam (DUCE). He is currently, pursuing Masters of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in Henan University, China. So far, he has 4 publications in zone 2 journals published between October, 2020 and March, 2021. His research focus is on the therapeutic potential of hydrogen sulfide and PEST-containing nuclear protein (PCNP) in cancer treatment.

Dong-Dong Wu obtained his PhD from Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Currently he serves as Associate Professor of Physiology and Vice President of School of Stomatology at Henan University and Deputy Director of Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein Regulation (at Henan University). He has been elected to membership within a number of scientific committees across China, including Chinese Society of Immunology, Chinese Anti-Cancer Association, and Chinese Society for Microbiology. Dr Dong-Dong Wu has authored more than 50 original research papers and review articles, focusing role of hydrogen sulfide and nucleoprotein in metabolic diseases and cancer.

Xin-Ying Ji, MD, PhD, is a professor in Henan University College of Medicine, focusing on the functions of novel nuclear protein PCNP (PEST Proteolytic Signal Containing Nuclear Protein). He is vice dean for international affairs. As the founder of Henan International Joint Laboratory for Nuclear Protein, Dr. Ji has made fundamental progress in PCNP associated with tumor.

Peer review under responsibility of Cairo University.

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Nazeer Hussain Khan and Maria Mir both contributed equally.