Applications of Nanomedicine in Breast Cancer Therapy / 医药导报

ABSTRACT

Objective Nanomedicine is a branch of nanotechnology; it applies scientific principles and established methods of nanotechnology in healthcare. Small sized nanoparticles exhibit unique material properties. Nanoparticle therapeutic agents can be delivered with minimal invasiveness in vivo,and react more specifically to target tissues.Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women.Its incidence increases every year globally.Conventional therapeutic methods for breast cancer are effective,but have many limitations.In recent years the rapid development of nanotechnology medicine provides new solutions for those problems.There are many types of nanoengineered drug delivery systems (nDDS),each with distinguishing properties, including organic and inorganic materials, for example liposomes, polymers, antibodies, metals, magnets, carbons and ceramics. Nanomedicine may have passive and active targeting strategies. Both can enhance the accumulation of the drug in tumor sites. Specific nanoparticles can also kill or damage tumor cells.As its research advances fast,a wide application of nanomedicine in treating breast cancer is getting adopted.Many agents and formulations of nanomedicine are approved for clinical trials or approved for prescription.