Current Drug Nano-targeting Strategies for Improvement in the Diagnosis and Treatment of Prevalent Pathologies such as Cardiovascular and Renal Diseases.

BACKGROUND: The kidney and cardiovascular system are closely related to each other during the modulation of the cardiovascular homeostasis. However, the search for new alternatives for the treatment and diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases does not take into account this relationship, so their evaluation results and the advantages offered by their global and integrative analysis are wasted. For example, a variety of receptors that are overexpressed in both pathologies is large enough to allow expansion in the search for new molecular targets and ligands. Nanotechnology offers pharmacological targeting strategies to kidney, heart, and blood vessels for overcoming one of the essential restrictions of traditional cardiovascular therapies the ones related to their unspecific pharmacodynamics distribution in these critical organs. RECENT FINDINGS: Drug or contrast agent nano-targeting for treatment or diagnosis of atherosclerosis, thrombosis, renal cancer or fibrosis, glomerulonephritis, among other renal, cardiac and blood vessels pathologies would allow an increase in their efficacy and a reduction of their side effects. Such effects are possible because, through pharmacological targeting, the drug is mainly found at the desired site. Review Purpose: In this mini-review, active, passive, and physical targeting strategies of several nanocarriers that have been assessed and proposed for the treatment and diagnosis of different cardiovascular diseases, are being addressed.

Anandamide and endocannabinoid system: an attractive therapeutic approach for cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular disease is currently not adequately managed and has become one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Current therapies are inadequate in terms of preventing its progression. There are several limitations, such as poor oral bioavailability, side effects, low adherence to treatment, and high dosage frequency of formulations due to the short half-life of the active ingredients used, among others. This review aims to highlight the most relevant aspects of the relationship between the cardiovascular system and the endocannabinoid system, with special attention to the possible translational effect of the use of anandamide in cardiovascular health. The deep and detailed knowledge of this interaction, not always beneficial, and that for years has gone unnoticed, is essential for the development of new therapies. We discuss the most recent and representative results obtained in the field of basic research, referring to the aforementioned subject, emphasizing fundamentally the main role of nitric oxide, renal physiology and its deregulation in pathological processes.