Chemotherapeutic Research Paper

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Conventional chemotherapeutic agents are usually administered via the intravenous (i.v.) route. However, the major drawbacks with i.v. administration of therapeutic agents is their widespread distribution throughout the body via the bloodstream affecting both malignant and rapidly dividing normal cells in the bone marrow [64]. This leads to increased side effects, higher patient risks, decreased biodistribution of drugs to the tumor site and development of multidrug resistance against the chemotherapeutic drugs by the cancer cells[65]. Chemotherapeutics are also rapidly cleared by the reticuloendothelial system (RES), which results in a reduced amount of drugs reaching the target site leading to decreased efficacy [66]. Most of the anticancer drugs are hydrophobic and due to their toxicity to normal and cancer cells, they have to be developed in a formulation to be delivered via an i.v. route [67]. …show more content…

The retention of drug in the lung and the ability to overcome extracellular and cellular lung barriers is also a significant factor [68]. The mucociliary clearance mechanism designed to clear inhaled and possibly noxious material limits the amount of residence time of the deposited formulation in the lungs. Thus the amount of drug reaching the target site is also reduced [69]. The drug permanence in situ and duration of effect is also affected by the nature and extent of the interactions of the drug with lung lining fluid (LLF), airway macrophages and lung epithelial cells. Nucleic acids including DNA and antisense oligonucleotide have been widely studied for the treatment of lung cancer. Short interfering RNA (siRNA) is the most popular candidate being studied in RNAi therapy, amongst the different types of nucleic acids that are involved in the

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