Polymer Drug Conjugates

The concept of focal controlled drug delivery has been applied for treating illnesses that are localized to a certain tissue or organ. These delivery systems are applied directly to the diseased site and deliver a desired dose for an extended time period while minimizing systemic distribution of toxic drug. Controlled drug delivery systems have been focused on oral extended release formulations and on systemic delivery of small drugs and peptides. Despite the upsurge of interest in focal targeted drug delivery, there is currently no single reference text on the subject. By comparison, there are numerous authored and edited books on oral, systemic and transdermal drug delivery or books on biodegradable polymers as drug carriers. Thus, the aim of Focal Drug Delivery is to bring together leading experts and researchers in the field to provide an authoritative account of the essential pharmaceutical, technological, physiological and biological sciences underpinning the topic. In addition, the book will review advances in treatment options for diseases localized at a certain tissue or organ.

Nanoscience or the science of the very small offers the pharmaceutical scientist a wealth of opportunities. By fabricating at the nanoscale, it is possible to exert unprecedented control on drug activity. This textbook will showcase a variety of nanosystems working from their design and construction to their application in the field of drug delivery. The book is intended for graduate students in drug delivery, physical and polymer chemistry, and applied pharmaceutical sciences courses that involve fundamental nanoscience. The purpose of the text is to present physicochemical and biomedical properties of synthetic polymers with an emphasis on their application in polymer therapeutics i.e., pharmaceutical nanosystems, drug delivery and biological performance. There are two main objectives of this text. The first is to provide advanced graduate students with knowledge of the principles of nanosystems and polymer science including synthesis, structure, and characterization of solution and solid state properties. The second is to describe the fundamentals of therapeutic applications of polymers in drug delivery, targeting, response modifiers as well as regulatory issues. The courses, often listed as Advanced Drug Delivery and Applied Pharmaceutics; Polymer Therapeutics; or Nanomedicine, are designed as an overview of the field specifically for graduate students in the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Graduate Programs. However, the course content may also be of interest for graduate students in related biomedical research programs. These courses generally include a discussion of the major principles of polymer science and fundamental concepts of application of polymers as modern therapeutics. All courses are moving away from the above mentioned course names and going by ‘pharmaceutical nanoscience or nanosystems’. This area of research and technology development has attracted tremendous attention during the last two decades and it is expected that it will continue to grow in importance. However, the area is just emerging and courses are limited but they are offered.

Aiding researchers seeking to eliminate multi-step procedures, reduce delays in treatment and ease patient care, Cancer Theranostics reviews, assesses, and makes pertinent clinical recommendations on the integration of comprehensive in vitro diagnostics, in vivo molecular imaging, and individualized treatments towards the personalization of cancer treatment. Cancer Theranostics describes the identification of novel biomarkers to advance molecular diagnostics of cancer. The book encompasses new molecular imaging probes and techniques for early detection of cancer, and describes molecular imaging-guided cancer therapy. Discussion also includes nanoplatforms incorporating both cancer imaging and therapeutic components, as well as clinical translation and future perspectives. Supports elimination of multi-step approaches and reduces delays in treatments through combinatorial diagnosis and therapy Fully assesses cancer theranostics across the emergent field, with discussion of biomarkers, molecular imaging, imaging guided therapy, nanotechnology, and personalized medicine Content bridges laboratory, clinic, and biotechnology industries to advance biomedical science and improve patient management

Polymer-Drug Conjugates: Linker Chemistry, Protocols and Applications discusses important concepts, fundamentals and prospective applications of ‘Linker Chemistry’ in a clear-and-concise manner. The book provides vital information on chemical entities binding with the drug-polymer complex for targeted drug delivery systems. It highlights roles and significance, different classes and synthetic protocols as well as mechanisms of chemical bond formation in drug-polymer conjugation in drug delivery, also offering insights into the mechanism of polymer interaction with linker and drug molecules by biodegradable chemical bonding. The protocol of binding with drug molecules is clearly explained and justified with case studies, helping researchers and advanced students in the pharmaceutical sciences understand fundamentals involved and related aspects in molecule designing for effective therapeutic benefits. Covers mechanism, protocol and therapeutic significance of Polymer-Drug Conjugates Outlines updated methods and techniques to enumerate conjugation with related case studies Includes comprehensive compilation of marketed and clinical trial drugs conjugated with polymers or linkers

Proceedings of the International Symposium on Polymer Therapeutics - Recent Progress in Clinics and Future Prospects, held July 13-14, 2001, in Nara, Japan. The technology of polymer science has developed considerably during the past half-century, and this volume describes some of the aspects of this technology that will have a great impact in the future. Among these advances, for example, are gene delivery to specific disease sites and carrier polymers that respond to a stimulus or particular environment. Cancer targeted drug delivery is another focused area of this volume because of the important nature of EPR-effect of polymer drugs in tumor. Included are discussions of as many examples as possible of polymer drugs that have achieved, or are close to clinical use. The concept of "Polymer drugs" here is limited to primarily injectable and water-soluble agents, although also covered are some drugs in micellar form or liposomes. This book is intended for students and researchers in the field of pharmacology who have particular interests in drug delivery, targeting, and formulation, as well as for clinicians such as oncologists who are interested in the field. People who work at regulatory agencies should also be aware such that drugs with great potential are being developed and will be beneficial to many patients, as well as to health insurance agencies because of improved cost effectiveness.

Antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) represent one of the most promising and exciting areas of anticancer drug discovery. Five ADCs are now approved in the US and EU [i.e., ado-trastuzumab emtansine (KadcylaTM), brentuximab vedotin (AdcetrisTM), inotuzumab ozogamicin (BesponsaTM), gemtuzumab ozogamicin (MylotargTM) and moxetumomab pasudotox-tdfk (Lumoxiti®)] and over 70 others are in various stages of clinical development, with impressive interim results being reported for many. The technology is based on the concept of delivering a cytotoxic payload selectively to cancer cells by attaching it to an antibody targeted to antigens on the cell surfaces. This approach has several advantages including the ability to select patients as likely responders based on the presence of antigen on the surface of their cancer cells and a wider therapeutic index, given that ADC targeting enables a more efficient delivery of cytotoxic agents to cancer cells than can be achieved by conventional chemotherapy, thus minimising systemic toxicity. Although there are many examples of antibodies that have been developed for this purpose, along with numerous linker technologies used to attach the cytotoxic agent to the antibody, there is presently a relatively small number of payload molecules in clinical use. The purpose of this book is to describe the variety of payloads used to date, along with a discussion of their advantages and disadvantages and to provide information on novel payloads at the research stage that may be used clinically in the future.

In this first authoritative overview on modern cancer chemotherapy 121 international specialists have contributed their experience and recent data for what is likely to become the gold standard in the field. The authors summarize knowledge gained over the past decade, from basic concepts to successful applications in the clinic, covering active and passive targeting strategies as well as tissue-specific approaches. All current and future targeted delivery systems are discussed, from ligand-based to antibody-based polymer-based systems, right up to micro- and nanoparticulate systems. A special section covers the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics, such as siRNA, miRNA and antisense nucleotides. In each case, a description of the basic technique is followed by a discussion of the latest preclinical and clinical developments in the field. By virtue of its clear and didactic structure, rich illustrative material and summary chapters, this handbook and ready reference enables the efficient transfer of knowledge between different disciplines, from basic research to the clinician and vice versa. It is equally well suited for professionals, researchers and students in medical oncology and cancer biology, and is also excellent for teaching medical students the foundations of 21st century cancer chemotherapy.

Advances in anti-cancer chemotherapy over recent years have led to improved efficacy in curing or controlling many cancers. Some chemotherapy-related side-effects are well recognized and include: nausea, vomiting, bone marrow suppression, peripheral neuropathy, cardiac and skeletal muscle dysfunction and renal impairment. However, it is becoming clearer that some chemotherapy-related adverse effects may persist even in long term cancer survivors. Problems such as cognitive, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal dysfunction, and neuropathy may lead to substantial long term morbidity. Despite improvements in treatments to counteract acute chemotherapy-induced adverse effects, they are often incompletely effective. Furthermore, counter-measures for some acute side-effects and many potential longer term sequelae of anti-cancer chemotherapy have not been developed. Thus, new insights into prevalence and mechanisms of cancer chemotherapy-related side effects are needed and new approaches to improving tolerance and reduce sequelae of cancer chemotherapy are urgently needed. The present Research Topic focuses on adverse effects and sequelae of chemotherapy and strategies to counteract them.