This book presents an overview of the current status of translating the RNAi cancer therapeutics in the clinic, a brief description of the biological barriers in drug delivery, and the roles of imaging in aspects of administration route, systemic circulation, and cellular barriers for the clinical translation of RNAi cancer therapeutics, and with partial content for discussing the safety concerns. It then focuses on imaging-guided delivery of RNAi therapeutics in preclinical development, including the basic principles of different imaging modalities, and their advantages and limitations for biological imaging. With growing number of RNAi therapeutics entering the clinic, various imaging methods will play an important role in facilitating the translation of RNAi cancer therapeutics from bench to bedside. RNAi technique has become a powerful tool for basic research to selectively knock down gene expression in vitro and in vivo. Our scientific and industrial communities have started to develop RNAi therapeutics as the next class of drugs for treating a variety of genetic disorders, such as cancer and other diseases that are particularly hard to address with current treatment strategies. Key Features Provides insight into the current advances and hurdles of RNAi therapeutics. Accelerates RNAi, miRNAs, and siRNA drug development for cancer therapy from bench to bedside. Addresses various modifications and novel delivery strategies for miRNAs, piRNAs and siRNA delivery in anticancer therapeutics. Explores the need for the interaction of hematologists,cell biologists, immunologists, and material scientists in the development of novel cancer therapies. Describes the current status of clinical trials related to miRNA and siRNA-based cancer therapy Presents remaining issues that need to be overcome to establish successful therapies.

Written by the winner of the 2008 Mike Price Fellowship "This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the wealth of information now available in this important and fast-moving subject." Anticancer Research, November - December 2008 This book provides a clear introduction to the area, with an overview of the various drug design and development approaches for cancer therapeutics and their progress in today’s multidisciplinary approach to cancer treatment. Clearly structured throughout, the book not only provides information on currently used molecular treatment approaches, but also describes the various agents that are currently at various stages of development and clinical trials, thus making them the drugs of tomorrow. The book goes on to present current therapeutic regimes including their indications and side effects, as well as their position in the international market in terms of sales and development costs. Furthermore, coverage of our advancement in the understanding of cancer biology and how this has driven the drug discovery process is clearly discussed. Modern drug discovery aspects, through genomic, proteomic and metabolomic approaches are referred to as well as combinatorial chemistry techniques and discovery of chemotherapeutic agents from plant extracts, re-use of old drugs and drugs from other indications, or de novo rational drug design. Including contributions from leading experts in the field, this book provides the reader with a complete overview of the various types of therapeutic agents, current and emerging, as well as other aspects associated with anticancer therapy, drug design, resistance and clinical trials in oncology.

The book provides a strong platform for delineating the complex mechanism underlying cancer therapeutics along with the therapies countering drug resistance. It describes tumor angiogenesis and cancer metastasis, oncogenes and oncogenesis. It covers natural phytochemicals and herbal nanomedicines. It includes the recent advances in nanocomposite films and SiRNA-mediated drug delivery. Cancer biology, mechanistic insight and therapeutics. Valuable source about nanomedicine design, nano-based drug delivery systems and approaches for cancer therapy.

Polymeric Nanoparticles as Promising Tool for Anti-cancer Therapeutics provides an understanding of polymeric compounds and their use in cancer therapies. The book begins by giving an overview of the current status, future challenges and potential utilization of polymeric nanoparticles. It then covers specific polymeric nanoparticles through contributions from world-renowned experts and researchers. Chapters examine specific polymeric nanoparticles, their development as potential targeted delivery systems, and cancer characteristics that can be targeted for therapy development. The book synthesizes current research trends in the field, thus enhancing existing knowledge of nanomedicine, drug delivery and therapeutic intervention strategies in human cancers. Users will find this to be an ideal reference for research scientists and those in the pharmaceutical and medical fields who are working to develop novel cancer therapies using nanoparticle-based delivery systems. - Explores the development of polymeric nanoparticle systems for the purpose of cancer therapy - Presents thoroughly analyzed data and results regarding the usage of polymeric nanoparticles-based platforms for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer - Highlights various cancer characteristics that can be targeted for therapeutic development using polymeric nanoparticles

An integrated presentation of the basic science and clinical applications of anticancer agents Aimed at both undergraduate and postgraduate readers, this unique text provides readers with a fully-integrated presentation of all aspects of the science of anticancer drugs, including their chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical applications. After heart disease, cancer is the number one killer worldwide, and the tumor microenvironment is forever changing, creating an ever-greater demand for safer, more effective anticancer agents. In response to that demand, the $100 billion cancer drug market continues to grow, with our increased understanding of cancer leading to new drugs being used clinically almost every year. Anticancer Therapeutics is divided into three sections. Section 1 is an introduction to cancer and therapeutics, and covers the etiology and cellular and molecular basis of cancer. In Section 2, the authors focus on the anticancer agents — their discovery, synthesis, mode of action, mechanisms of resistance, and adverse reactions. Section 3 focuses on specific cancers, explaining how and why the various agents discussed in Section 2 are used, both individually and in combination, to treat different cancers. Integrates aspects of basic science, including chemistry and pharmacology and clinical medicine in relation to cancer therapeutics Written by an author team comprising specialists in medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and oncology Features full-color images throughout illustrating how drugs bind to cellular targets and exert their pharmacological effect Divided into three sections, covering the etiology and cellular and molecular basis of cancer, anticancer agents, and drug applications for different cancers. Providing the reader with an integrated understanding of all aspects of the science of anticancer agents, this is an ideal textbook for undergraduates studying medicine, nursing, medicinal chemistry, pharmacy, pharmacology and other allied heath / life sciences. It is also a valuable bench reference for pharmacists, medics, and pharmaceutical researchers working in both academia and industry.

This unique volume traces the critically important pathway by which a "molecule" becomes an "anticancer agent. " The recognition following World War I that the administration of toxic chemicals such as nitrogen mustards in a controlled manner could shrink malignant tumor masses for relatively substantial periods of time gave great impetus to the search for molecules that would be lethal to specific cancer cells. Weare still actively engaged in that search today. The question is how to discover these "anticancer" molecules. Anticancer Drug Development Guide: Preclinical Screening, Clinical Trials, and Approval, Second Edition describes the evolution to the present of preclinical screening methods. The National Cancer Institute's high-throughput, in vitro disease-specific screen with 60 or more human tumor cell lines is used to search for molecules with novel mechanisms of action or activity against specific phenotypes. The Human Tumor Colony-Forming Assay (HTCA) uses fresh tumor biopsies as sources of cells that more nearly resemble the human disease. There is no doubt that the greatest successes of traditional chemotherapy have been in the leukemias and lymphomas. Since the earliest widely used in vivo drug screening models were the murine L 1210 and P388 leukemias, the community came to assume that these murine tumor models were appropriate to the discovery of "antileukemia" agents, but that other tumor models would be needed to discover drugs active against solid tumors.

Genomics and Pharmacogenomics in Anticancer Drug Development and Clinical Response provides the most comprehensive body of knowledge available on the role of genetic and genomic variation in the individualization of drug therapies in cancer patients. As a consequence of the intrinsic chromosomal and genetic instability of the tumor genome, it is generally believed that tailoring of chemotherapy in cancer - tients might be achieved by molecular analysis of patient tumor DNA. In addition, to reduce the toxicity risk of patients, the tumor DNA information should be in- grated with the available data on polymorphic drug-metabolizing enzyme and tra- porter genes mediating the exposure of patients to active drugs and/or their active metabolites. The chapters of this book clearly show how DNA information from both the host (germline) and the tumor should be taken into account for rational selection of drug therapies in cancer patients, an aspect that received little attention, despite its importance. The availability of new molecular approaches to the selection of drug therapy is an emerging need, because the traditional approach based on the evaluation of patient and tumor characteristics is clearly far from optimal. Many treated patients do not experience signi?cant bene?ts from the treatment, while they often experience moderate to severe toxicities. In addition, the development and clinical use of novel molecularly targeted agents (alone or in combination with classical cytotoxic therapy) requires the und- standing of the molecular features of the tumors and the identi?cation of tumor markers of response.

This timely desk reference focuses on marine-derived bioactive substances which have biological, medical and industrial applications. The medicinal value of these marine natural products are assessed and discussed. Their function as a new and important resource in novel, anticancer drug discovery research is also presented in international contributions from several research groups. For example, the potential role of Spongistatin, Apratoxin A, Eribulin mesylate, phlorotannins, fucoidan, as anticancer agents is explained. The mechanism of action of bioactive compounds present in marine algae, bacteria, fungus, sponges, seaweeds and other marine animals and plants are illustrated via several mechanisms. In addition, this handbook lists various compounds that are active candidates in chemoprevention and their target actions. The handbook also places into context the demand for anticancer nutraceuticals and their use as potential anti-cancer pharmaceuticals and medicines. This study of advanced and future types of natural compounds from marine sources is written to facilitate the understanding of Biotechnology and its application to marine natural product drug discovery research.

The past decades have seen major developments in the understanding of the cellular and molecular biology of cancer. Significant progress has been achieved regarding long-term survival for the patients of many cancers with the use of tamoxifen for treatment of breast cancer, treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia with imatinib, and the success of biological drugs. The transition from cytotoxic chemotherapy to targeted cancer drug discovery and development has resulted in an increasing selection of tools available to oncologists. In this Special Issue of Pharmaceuticals, we highlight the opportunities and challenges in the discovery and design of innovative cancer therapies, novel small-molecule cancer drugs and antibody–drug conjugates, with articles covering a variety of anticancer therapies and potential relevant disease states and applications. Significant efforts are being made to develop and improve cancer treatments and to translate basic research findings into clinical use, resulting in improvements in survival rates and quality of life for cancer patients. We demonstrate the possibilities and scope for future research in these areas and also highlight the challenges faced by scientists in the area of anticancer drug development leading to improved targeted treatments and better survival rates for cancer patients.