Active Targeted Nanoformulations via Folate Receptors: State of the Art and Future Perspectives

In normal tissues, the expression of folate receptors is low and limited to cells that are important for embryonic development or for folate reabsorption. However, in several pathological conditions some cells, such as cancer cells and activated macrophages, overexpress folate receptors (FRs). This...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pharmaceutics 2021-12, Vol.14 (1), p.14
Main Authors: Martín-Sabroso, Cristina, Torres-Suárez, Ana Isabel, Alonso-González, Mario, Fernández-Carballido, Ana, Fraguas-Sánchez, Ana Isabel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Breast cancer
Cancer therapies
Chemotherapy
Colorectal cancer
Cytotoxicity
Drugs
etarfolide
folic acid
Inflammatory diseases
Ligands
Medical research
mirvetuximab soravtansine
Ovarian cancer
Polyethylene glycol
Review
rheumatoid arthritis
targeted therapies
Toxicity
Tumors
Vitamin B
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Summary:In normal tissues, the expression of folate receptors is low and limited to cells that are important for embryonic development or for folate reabsorption. However, in several pathological conditions some cells, such as cancer cells and activated macrophages, overexpress folate receptors (FRs). This overexpression makes them a potential therapeutic target in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases to obtain a selective delivery of drugs at altered cells level, and thus to improve the therapeutic efficacy and decrease the systemic toxicity of the pharmacological treatments. Two strategies have been used to achieve this folate receptor targeting: (i) the use of ligands with high affinity to FRs (e.g., folic acid or anti-FRs monoclonal antibodies) linked to the therapeutic agents or (ii) the use of nanocarriers whose surface is decorated with these ligands and in which the drug is encapsulated. This manuscript analyzes the use of FRs as a target to develop new therapeutic tools in the treatment of cancer and inflammatory diseases with an emphasis on the nanoformulations that have been developed for both therapeutic and imaging purposes.
ISSN:1999-4923
1999-4923
DOI:10.3390/pharmaceutics14010014