Update on Nanotechnology-based Drug Delivery Systems in Cancer Treatment.

The emerging field of nanotechnology meets the demands for innovative approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. The nanoparticles are biocompatible and biodegradable and are made of a core, a particle that acts as a carrier, and one or more functional groups on the core which target specific sites. Nanotech in drug delivery includes nanodisks, High Density Lipoprotein nanostructures, liposomes, and gold nanoparticles. The fundamental advantages of nanoparticles are: improved delivery of water-insoluble drugs, targeted delivery, co-delivery of two or more drugs for combination therapy, and visualization of the drug delivery site by combining imaging system and a therapeutic drug. One of the potential applications of nanotechnology is in the treatment of cancer. Conventional methods for cancer treatments have included chemotherapy, surgery, or radiation. Early recognition and treatment of cancer with these approaches is still challenging. Innovative technologies are needed to overcome multidrug resistance, and increase drug localization and efficacy. Application of nanotechnology to cancer biology has brought in a new hope for developing treatment strategies on cancer. In this study, we present a review on the recent advances in nanotechnology-based approaches in cancer treatment.

The Evolution, Functions and Applications of the Breast Cancer Genes BRCA1 and BRCA2.

BRCA1 and BRCA2 are both tumor suppressors whose mutations are the cause of most hereditary breast cancers. Both genes are highly involved in ensuring genome stability. BRCA1 homologs are found in the plant and animal kingdoms while BRCA2 homologs are additionally found in the fungi kingdom. The initial origin of both genes remains unknown, however it is expected that the common ancestors originated around 1.6 billion years ago prior to the kingdoms diverging. There has been a great amount of divergence between homologs that is not observed in other tumor suppressors with only functionally important domains conserved. This divergence continues today with evidence of primate BRCA1/2 evolution. Cancer-associated mutations have been found to occur at conserved sites, indicating that conserved sites are important for function. In this study, we present a review on the phylogenesis of BRCA1 and BRCA2.