Vectorisation of antitumor drugs by cyclodextrin in the treatment of breast cancer

cyclodextrin are able to form host-guest inclusion complexes with hydrophobic molecules possessing the right size and shape. Therefore combining the cyclodextrin molecular recognition ability with proper functional groups allows the use of cyclodextrin in several research fields and applications such as enzyme mimicking, chemical sensing (organic molecules in aqueous media), drug delivery systems (slow delivery or site-specific delivery). Moreover, cyclodextrins as chiral entities have a significant potential for asymmetric synthesis and chiral separation.
In this project, we plan to develop cyclodextrin-type delivery systems able to include antiangiogenic drugs. These systems will carry a pattern targeting the tumor blood vessel in breast cancer.
Current treatments for breast cancers are extensive and side effects are important. The aggressiveness of breast tumors relies on angiogenesis.
Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation, plays a crucial role in local tumor growth and distant metastasis in breast cancer. Angiogenesis is a tightly regulated, multiply redundant process that is required only for wound healing, endometrial proliferation, and pregnancy in healthy adults. In this process, degradation of the basement membrane and surrounding stroma by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) is crucial. Thus the inhibition of MMPs offers an attractive therapeutic target. But several inhibitors of MMPs possess intolerable side effect (muscle and tendinous pain, rigidness,'). Moreover, having low solubility and biodisponibility, their administration is difficult.
So the inclusion of inhibitors of MMPs in cyclodextrin-type delivery system would increase the solubility and the biodisponibility of these drugs. Furthermore, the site-delivery system would reduce the dosage and the side effects without decreasing the drug activity.
Combining inclusion and targeting would bring benefits to the chimiotherapy.