Irinotecan has been used in the treatment of various malignancies for many years. Still, the knowledge regarding this drug is expanding. The pharmacogenetics of the drug is the crucial component of response to irinotecan. Furthermore, new formulations of the drug are introduced for it enhanced delivery. Novel formulations of drugs (e.g., liposomal formulations, dendrimers, and nanoparticles) have a huge potential to avoid potentially life-threatening side effects of the iriniotecan.
Irinotecan has been used in the treatment of various malignancies for many years. Still, the knowledge regarding this drug is expanding. The pharmacogenetics of the drug is the crucial component of response to irinotecan. Furthermore, new formulations of the drug are introduced in order to better deliver the drug and avoid potentially life-threatening side effects.
2. IntroductionDespite significant progress in medicine, classical chemotherapy still remains the first-line treatment of cancer, especially metastatic tumors. Tumor drug resistance and potential side effects are the main limiting factors in cancer treatment. These factors promote continuous drug development and research that studies the effects of combined treatments of existing drugs. Moreover, the field of drug delivery is expanding rapidly, raising hope for more efficient anticancer therapies [1]. These include the use of liposomal formulations, dendrimers, and nanoparticles as delivery systems. Among conventional antineoplastic drugs, several classes are distinguishable: alkylating agents, antimetabolites, topoisomerase inhibitors, mitotic spindle inhibitors, and others [2][3]. Topoisomerase I inhibitors have been extensively studied since the late 1960s; however, initially, their clinical use was hindered due to their severe toxicity and low stability. Irinotecan as the first member of this drug group was approved for the treatment of cervical, lung, and ovarian cancer in Japan in 1994. In the following years, its use was approved in Europe (1995) and the USA (1996) [4].
New Formulation | Effect of Modification | Reference |
---|---|---|
PEGylated liposomal irinotecan | Improved cytotoxic effects of irinotecan in mouse model of brain metastasis compared to irinotecan monotherapy. | [26] |
Irinotecan (Iri)-fatty acid prodrugs (Iri5C, Iri-8C, and Iri-12C) with alkyl chains of different lengths synthesized by esterification using DCC (dicyclohexylcarbodiimide) and DMAP (4-dimethylamino-pyridine). |
Higher intracellular accumulation of the drug and elevated cytotoxicity of irinotecan. | [[27]] |
SN-38 loaded on graphene oxides (GOs) modified with either polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or excipient β-cyclodextrin (β-CD). | SN-38 loaded on nanocarriers exhibited higher cytotoxic potential in the MCF-7 cell line. The GO–PVP nanocarrier had higher cytotoxic activity than the GO-β-CD nanocarrier, indicating that the GO–PVP nanocarrier is a more effective drug delivery system. | [[28]] |
PEGylated acetylated carboxymethylcellulose conjugate of SN38 covalently attached it to an aptamer against CD133. | Enhanced uptake of the carrier-containing drug by the CD133-expressing HT29 cell line in vitro. The use of nanoconjugates results in an enhanced cytotoxicity of the drug compared to the non-targeted self-assembled nanoconjugate. | [[29]] |
Cisplatin and irinotecan encapsulated in poly(d,l-lactide-co-glycolide)-co-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLGA–PEG)-based nanoparticles directed toward prostate cancer cells overexpressing PSMA receptors, by using PSMA ligand-S,S-2-(3-[5-amino-1-carboxypentyl]-ureido)pentanedioic acid. | Selective endocytotic uptake and controlled release of drug, allowing complexes to act as cytotoxic agents. Both agents exhibited synergistic activities, resulting in elevated cell killing. | [[30]] |
Nanoparticle system prepared with poly(DL-lactic acid) (PLA), poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG–PPG–PEG), and irinotecan. | Enhanced antitumor effect against Sarcoma 180 solid tumor. Nanoparticles may exhibit cytotoxic potential in solid tumors, distant from the administration site. | [[31]] |
PEGylated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers containing SN-38 conjugated with peptides-BR2 and CyLoP1. | Formulation is much more cytotoxic in the murine colon carcinoma (C26) cell line compared to SN38 in its native form. Enhanced uptake of the drug by cells and higher cytotoxicity was observed in vivo for the formulation compared to SN-38 alone. | [[32]] |
Hyaluronic Acid ChemoTransport (HyACT®) | Improved responsiveness in CD44 positive tumor cells. In addition, a combination of improved progression-free survival in metastatic colorectal cancer has been demonstrated, when compared to normal irinotecan monotherapy. | [[34]] |
SN-38 conjugated to gold nanoparticles via oligonucleotides complementary to specific mRNAs unique to cancer cells of Ewing sarcoma. | The drug was efficiently delivered and selectively released in both in vitro and in vivo conditions. | [[35]] |
Self-assemble poly(l-lysine)-b-poly(l-leucine) (PLys-b-PLeu) polymersomes. | The carriers did not exhibit any cytotoxic activity in tested cell lines (HEK, NIH3T3, and A549). Moreover, the loading of irinotecan into polymersomes resulted in similar antitumor activity in vitro to that observed for free drug. | [[36]] |
This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/ijms21144919