Functionalized drug-gene delivery materials to transport inhibitor of apoptosis protein antagonists for tumor malignancy management

Background: Tumor malignancy is one of the most atrocious threats to human survival. Although a vast range of remedies against neoplasms has been established over the course of several decades, there are still no systematic options to assure an absolute cure. The lack of full treatment for malignant tumors is partly attributed to no potent breakthrough in abating multidrug resistance and in augmenting chemotherapeutic targeting and biocompatibility. Even more importantly, inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) overexpression can block apoptotic pathways via suppressing caspases, and further result in faster carcinomatous metastasis and transformation, making the medication difficult. Methods: To manage tumor progression, strategies related to drugs and genes which restrain IAPs are gaining traction by medicinal researchers and practitioners as an innovative methodology. Nonetheless, using small molecular entities, such as second mitochondria-derived activator of caspase mimetics, plasmid deoxyribonucleic acid and small interfering ribonucleic acid, to constrain IAP expression reveals many drawbacks, including insufficient selectivity and low bioavailability. Thus, drug-gene delivery materials become crucial to assist IAP antagonists for targeting carcinomatous tissue with accelerated cancer cell and cancer stem cell apoptosis. Significant Findings: We select the leading scientific findings about polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes, and highlight their functions and perspectives on transferring pharmaceuticals to cellular IAPs, X-linked IAP and survivin. In addition to the latest advancement, this review discusses the key problems that have been solved by IAP antagonist-loaded biomaterials and the questions that remain. These recently published literatures demonstrate that the developed materials can certainly activate caspase activity, and have high feasibility to retard tumor propagation for clinical trials in the near future. (c) 2022 Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Tumor malignancy poses a serious threat to human survival and lacks a systematic cure. Overexpression of inhibitor of apoptosis protein (IAP) hinders treatment efficacy and increases the difficulty in medication. Innovative strategies using drugs and genes to suppress IAP expression, particularly through polymeric nanoparticles and liposomes, show promising results in accelerating cancer cell apoptosis and retarding tumor propagation. These advancements have great potential for clinical trials in the near future.