Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Precision Diagnostics and Therapeutics Development, and College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
State Key Laboratory of Radiation Medicine and Protection, Soochow University, Suzhou, China.
Expert Opin Drug Deliv. 2024 Jun;21(6):867-880. doi: 10.1080/17425247.2024.2372363. Epub 2024 Jun 28.
Arsenicals have a special place in the history of human health, acting both as poison and medicine. Having been used to treat a variety of diseases in the past, the success of arsenic trioxide (ATO) in treating acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in the last century marked its use as a drug in modern medicine. To expand their role against cancer, there have been clinical uses of arsenicals worldwide and progress in the development of drug delivery for various malignancies, especially solid tumors.
In this review, conducted on Google Scholar [1977-2024], we start with various forms of arsenicals, highlighting the well-known ATO. The mechanism of action of arsenicals in cancer therapy is then overviewed. A summary of the research progress in developing new delivery approaches (e.g. polymers, inorganic frameworks, and biomacromolecules) in recent years is provided, addressing the challenges and opportunities in treating various malignant tumors.
Reducing toxicity and enhancing therapeutic efficacy are guidelines for designing and developing new arsenicals and drug delivery systems. They have shown potential in the fight against cancer and emerging pathogens. New technologies and strategies can help us harness the potency of arsenicals and make better products.
砷剂在人类健康史上占有特殊地位，既是毒药又是药物。过去曾用于治疗多种疾病，而三氧化二砷（ATO）在过去一个世纪治疗急性早幼粒细胞白血病（APL）的成功标志着它在现代医学中作为药物的应用。为了扩大其在癌症治疗方面的作用，全世界都在临床应用砷剂，并在开发各种恶性肿瘤，特别是实体瘤的药物输送方面取得了进展。
在本次检索自 Google Scholar [1977-2024] 的综述中，我们首先介绍了各种形式的砷剂，重点介绍了著名的 ATO。然后概述了砷剂在癌症治疗中的作用机制。本文还提供了近年来开发新的递药方法（如聚合物、无机框架和生物大分子）的研究进展的总结，探讨了治疗各种恶性肿瘤所面临的挑战和机遇。
降低毒性和提高治疗效果是设计和开发新的砷剂和药物输送系统的指导原则。它们在对抗癌症和新兴病原体方面显示出了潜力。新技术和策略可以帮助我们利用砷剂的效力，开发出更好的产品。
