Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells as next-generation drug delivery vehicles for cancer therapeutics.

Expert Opin Drug Deliv

Laboratory of Biopharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Tokyo University of Science, Noda, Chiba Japan.

Published: November 2021

AI Article Synopsis

  • Drug delivery to solid tumors is challenging, but mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) can target these tumors to deliver anti-cancer drugs or therapeutic genes effectively, showing promise in preclinical studies and some clinical trials.
  • The review discusses MSCs' sources, their ability to home into tumors, and various administration routes, while summarizing their potential as delivery vehicles for cancer treatment.
  • Despite initial success in preclinical tests, many clinical trials have not achieved significant results, indicating a need to address variances in MSC characteristics, enhance their targeting capabilities, and optimize drug delivery methods to improve therapeutic outcomes.

Article Abstract

Introduction: Drug delivery to solid tumors remains a significant therapeutic challenge. Mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (MSCs) home to tumor tissues and can be employed as tumor targeted drug/gene delivery vehicles. Reportedly, therapeutic gene- or anti-cancer drug-loaded MSCs have shown remarkable anti-tumor effects in preclinical studies, and some clinical trials for assessing therapeutic MSCs in patients with cancer have been registered.

Areas Covered: In the present review, we first discuss the source and interdonor heterogeneity of MSCs, their tumor-homing mechanism, and the route of MSC administration in MSC-based cancer therapy. We then summarize the therapeutic applications of MSCs as a drug delivery vehicle for therapeutic genes or anti-cancer drugs and the drug delivery mechanism from drug-loaded MSCs to cancer cells.

Expert Opinion: Although numerous preclinical studies have revealed significant anti-tumor effects, several clinical trials assessing MSC-based cancer gene therapy have failed to demonstrate corroborative results, documenting limited therapeutic effects. Notably, a successful clinical outcome with MSC-based cancer therapy would require the interdonor heterogeneity of administered MSCs to be resolved, along with improved tumor-homing efficiency and optimized drug delivery efficiency from MSCs to cancer cells.

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Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17425247.2021.1960309DOI Listing

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