The focus in bioceramics research has evolved facing new challenges in the field of cancer therapy, among others. In the development of cancer treatments, the balance between therapy efficacy and medication side effects is always an issue. Nanotechnology provides a number of new therapies that could potentially provide better treatment for patients. For example, by using biocompatible nanomaterials, we can employ nanocarriers, passive and active targeting techniques, hyperthermic strategies, and many other mechanisms to target tumors. This chapter will address the above-described general concepts to bone cancer, which is among the most invasive and with lowest survival probability tumors. In this case, following cancerous bone excision, concealing the bone tissue loss is necessary and to this aim materials designed for bone replacement are requested. Moreover, a subsequent antitumor treatment needs to be carried out to avoid recurrence. In this context, two particular strategies both aimed to address the chemotherapeutic treatment to the tumor site will be focused: (1) the employment of ceramic nanoparticles as targeted anticancer drug carriers to be exploited as injectable devices and (2) the use of nanobioceramics as bone fillers with anticancer function to be implanted into the affected piece of bone. To this aim, we will examine different nanoceramics and bio-nanoceramics (hydroxyapatite, amorphous calcium phosphates, magnetic oxides, bioglasses and magnetic calcium phosphates) that are currently being researched and developed not only for bone cancer treatment but also for the therapy of bone metastasis that can derive from not osseous tumors. This chapter also includes discussions of a new class of potentially antimetastatic compounds, e.g., geminal bisphosphonates, that are in clinical use in the treatment of several bone-related diseases because of their high affinity for calcium ions and hence for bones. Due to this high affinity, they can also work as targeting agents, for the specific delivery and release of other drugs, and even of cytotoxic functionalities to bone tissue.
Nanostructured ceramics and bioceramics for bone cancer treatment
Scialla S.Secondo
;Scalera F.;Gervaso F.Ultimo
2016
Abstract
The focus in bioceramics research has evolved facing new challenges in the field of cancer therapy, among others. In the development of cancer treatments, the balance between therapy efficacy and medication side effects is always an issue. Nanotechnology provides a number of new therapies that could potentially provide better treatment for patients. For example, by using biocompatible nanomaterials, we can employ nanocarriers, passive and active targeting techniques, hyperthermic strategies, and many other mechanisms to target tumors. This chapter will address the above-described general concepts to bone cancer, which is among the most invasive and with lowest survival probability tumors. In this case, following cancerous bone excision, concealing the bone tissue loss is necessary and to this aim materials designed for bone replacement are requested. Moreover, a subsequent antitumor treatment needs to be carried out to avoid recurrence. In this context, two particular strategies both aimed to address the chemotherapeutic treatment to the tumor site will be focused: (1) the employment of ceramic nanoparticles as targeted anticancer drug carriers to be exploited as injectable devices and (2) the use of nanobioceramics as bone fillers with anticancer function to be implanted into the affected piece of bone. To this aim, we will examine different nanoceramics and bio-nanoceramics (hydroxyapatite, amorphous calcium phosphates, magnetic oxides, bioglasses and magnetic calcium phosphates) that are currently being researched and developed not only for bone cancer treatment but also for the therapy of bone metastasis that can derive from not osseous tumors. This chapter also includes discussions of a new class of potentially antimetastatic compounds, e.g., geminal bisphosphonates, that are in clinical use in the treatment of several bone-related diseases because of their high affinity for calcium ions and hence for bones. Due to this high affinity, they can also work as targeting agents, for the specific delivery and release of other drugs, and even of cytotoxic functionalities to bone tissue.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
