Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology Advance Access originally published online on November 6, 2008
Japanese Journal of Clinical Oncology 2008 38(12):793-802; doi:10.1093/jjco/hyn116
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© The Author (2008). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved
Polymeric Micellar Delivery Systems in Oncology
Investigative Treatment Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan
For reprints and all correspondence: Yasuhiro Matsumura, Investigative Treatment Division, Research Center for Innovative Oncology, National Cancer Center Hospital East, Kashiwa, Chiba, Japan. E-mail: yhmatsum{at}east.ncc.go.jp
Received September 1, 2008; accepted September 22, 2008
The purpose of drug delivery systems in cancer chemotherapy is to achieve selective delivery of anti-cancer agents to cancer tissue at an effective concentrations for the appropriate duration of time, so that we may be able to reduce the adverse effects of a drug and simultaneously enhance the anti-tumor effect. Polymeric micelles were expected to increase the accumulation of drugs in tumor tissues utilizing the enhanced permeability and retention effect and to incorporate various kinds of drugs into the inner core by chemical conjugation or physical entrapment with relatively high stability. The size of the micelles can be controlled within the diameter range of 20–100 nm, to ensure that the micelles do not pass through normal vessel walls; therefore, a reduced incidence of the side effects of the drugs may be expected due to the decreased volume of distribution. There are several anti-cancer agent-incorporated micelle carrier systems under clinical evaluation. Phase 1 studies of a cisplatin-incorporated micelle, NC-6004 and an SN-38-incorporated micelle, NK012, are now underway. A Phase 2 study of a paclitaxel-incorporated micelle, NK105, against stomach cancer is also underway.
Key Words: DDS polymer micelles clinical trial EPR effect