Targeted Subcellular Delivery of Anti-Cancer Agents

Anti-cancer pharmaceuticals that are practical to be delivered into specific subcellular compartment could be divided into at least two groups. The first comprises substances that show their effects only when delivered to a certain cell compartment, like DNA in the nucleus. There is a growing interest in targeted subcellular delivery of such biologically active biopolymers as transcription factors and antibodies which reveal their biological effects within specific cell compartments. Approaches to DNA delivery are widely discussed, whereas delivery of the above biopolymers remains underestimated. The second group includes antitumor medicines capable of cytotoxic effects in any part of the cell; however, one can find a cell compartment most sensitive to their effects. In other words, there are compartments in which localization requires the minimum doze of a cytotoxic drug to kill the cell. Examples of such substances are photosensitizers, radionuclides emitting short-range particles (like alpha-particle- or Auger-electron emitters).

There will be 4 areas covered by this journal issue :
1. Very concise descriptions of molecular mechanisms of intracellular transport used (or can be used) for subcellular delivery of clinically relevant “cargoes”.
2. Papers describing reasons why certain groups of anti-cancer agents should be delivered into specific subcellular compartments.
3. Papers describing different approaches to nuclear delivery of anti-cancer agents.
4. Delivery into different cytoplasmic structures