Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment: Biopolymer‐Based Aerogels as Smart Platforms for Targeted Drug Delivery

• Published in: Macromolecular rapid communications. 2024-05, Vol.45 (9), p.e2300687-n/a
• Main Authors: Alkhalidi, Hala M., Alahmadi, Amerh Aiad, Rizg, Waleed Y., Yahya, Esam Bashir, H.P.S., Abdul Khalil, Mushtaq, Rayan Y., Badr, Moutaz Y., Safhi, Awaji Y., Hosny, Khaled M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerogels; anticancer drugs; Antineoplastic drugs; Biocompatibility; Biopolymers; Cancer therapies; Cell therapy; Chemotherapy; controlled delivery; Drug delivery; Gene transfer; Platforms; Redox potential; Side effects; Stimuli; tumor cells
• ISSN: 1022-1336; 1521-3927; 1521-3927
• DOI: 10.1002/marc.202300687

Cancer stands as a leading cause of global mortality, with chemotherapy being a pivotal treatment approach, either alone or in conjunction with other therapies. The primary goal of these therapies is to inhibit the growth of cancer cells specifically, while minimizing harm to healthy dividing cells. Conventional treatments, often causing patient discomfort due to side effects, have led researchers to explore innovative, targeted cancer cell therapies. Thus, biopolymer‐based aerogels emerge as innovative platforms, showcasing unique properties that respond intelligently to diverse stimuli. This responsiveness enables precise control over the release of anticancer drugs, enhancing therapeutic outcomes. The significance of these aerogels lies in their ability to offer targeted drug delivery with increased efficacy, biocompatibility, and a high drug payload. In this comprehensive review, the author discuss the role of biopolymer‐based aerogels as an emerging functionalized platforms in anticancer drug delivery. The review addresses the unique properties of biopolymer‐based aerogels showing their smart behavior in responding to different stimuli including temperature, pH, magnetic and redox potential to control anticancer drug release. Finally, the review discusses the application of different biopolymer‐based aerogel in delivering different anticancer drugs and also discusses the potential of these platforms in gene delivery applications. This review highlights the potential of biopolymer‐based aerogels in anticancer drug delivery, emphasizing their responsiveness to stimuli such as temperature, pH, magnetic fields, and redox potential for precise drug release control. With their enhanced efficacy, biocompatibility, and high drug payload, these aerogels offer promising avenues for targeted therapy and gene delivery, exploring their unique properties and broad applications.