β-Cyclodextrins-based nano carriers for cancer therapy

Abstract

Gene therapy uses oligonucleotides against genetic disorders to interact with the source of the disease; it can be used to decrease the unwanted side effects of commonly used chemotherapy drugs. Naked oligonucleotides have a short half-life in human plasma (usually less than an hour); therefore, it is essential to choose a suitable carrier platform with excellent biodegradation and tailoring properties. Consequently, non-viral vectors are good candidates to increase the lifetime and improve their therapeutic efficacy. β-Cyclodextrins (CDs) are one of the natural cyclic oligosaccharides that provide the desired goals. Additionally, their appropriate sizes form supramolecular inclusion bodies capable of encapsulating the selected genes. This review focuses on some recent applications of β-CD based nano carriers for gene therapy, specifically the cationic polymers and amphiphilic complexes based on β-CDs used to design the nano systems against different cancer types. Keywords: Cationic polymers, Targeted delivery, Non-viral vector, Amphiphilic CDs, β-cyclodextrin