Signaling pathways influencing tumor microenvironment and their exploitation for targeted drug delivery
1Regenerative Medicine Program, Departamento de Ciências Biomédicas e Medicina, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
2IBB-Institute for Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Centro de Biomedicina Molecular e Estrutural, Universidade do Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
3Life and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
4ICVS/3B’s, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
5Departamento de Biologia (CITAB-UM), Universidade do Minho, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Cite as: Caroline J. Sheeba, Gregory Marslin, Ann Mary Revina, Gregory Franklin. Signaling pathways influencing tumor microenvironment and their exploitation for targeted drug delivery, nano Online. (2016). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nano.0034.00079
Cite as: Caroline J. Sheeba, Gregory Marslin, Ann Mary Revina, Gregory Franklin. Signaling pathways influencing tumor microenvironment and their exploitation for targeted drug delivery, Nanotechnology Reviews. 3, 123 (2013). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/ntrev-2013-0032
Abstract
In the recent years, the “tumor microenvironment” has been receiving growing attention due to its involvement in neoplastic transformation, tumor growth, invasion, and protection of tumor cells from host immune response. All these events are facilitated by chemical signals produced by the tumor as well as the surrounding stromal cells. This review is divided into two main parts in which the first part discusses the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK)-mediated growth factor signaling, steroid hormone (SH) signaling, ancient signaling pathways, and other molecules that are involved in tumorigenesis and how they interact with each other to create a complex tumor microenvironment. In the second part, we bring together the recent nanocarrier-mediated drug delivery approaches to target the signaling pathways/molecules present in the tumor microenvironment.
Keywords: active targeting; functionalization; nanoparticle-mediated drug delivery; signaling pathways; tumor microenvironment
