Antineoplastic Drugs-Induced Cardiotoxicities: Molecular Insights and Novel Opportunities for Precise Drug Delivery
A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Pharmacology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 2347
Special Issue Editor
Interests: valve surgery; coronary surgery; aortic surgery; cardiac biomechanics; tissue biomodelling; tissue engineering; regenerative medicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Cardio-oncology is an expanding field aimed at developing solutions for appropriate administration of cardiotoxic antineoplastic drugs. Severe cardiac side effects often warrant drug discontinuation, whose exclusion from oncological treatment plans can be detrimental.
A broad spectrum of cardiotoxicities has been reported, varying in reversibility, severity and management choices. Trastuzumab, a humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, notoriously causes partially reversible heart failure events, mainly attributable to radical-induced oxidative stress. Anthracyclines, a well-known class of chemotherapeutical agents, are responsible for mitochondrial damage, leading to myocardial cell loss. Bevacizumab, a monoclonal anti-VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) antibody, induces cellular derangements, leading to hypertension, and warrants further consideration.
Therefore, further attempts to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms are being pursued to reduce cardiovascular morbidities and balance the efficacy of antineoplastic drugs.
With the recent introduction of immunotherapies, myocarditis has also been reported as a cardiac side effect of immune checkpoint inhibitors, due to potentially shared antigens between the tumor and cardiac muscle.
Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR T) cell therapy has also been demonstrated to cause cardiac dysfunction.
Ultimately, delivery strategies such as nanoparticles, hydrogels, medical devices and localized delivery of cardioprotectants to the heart have been used to guarantee favorable pharmacokinetic parameters, including sustained release. The use of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin has demonstrated a reduced risk of cardiovascular events. Hydrogels and polymeric compounds can also be combined with several antineoplastic drugs to avoid off-target effects.
Thus, peer-reviewed research articles are considered the most important tool to improve consensus among clinicians and, consequently, guide appropriate diagnostic and clinical choices.
Dr. Francesco Nappi
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- cardiotoxicity
- antineoplastic drugs
- heart failure
- myocarditis
- delivery strategies
- nanoparticles
- hydrogels
