Modern Cancer Research for Non-Experts:

One example of how to develop antitumor agents on a biomedical rational: Why Polymer Therapeutics?

Theoretical Workshop

To-day some of the most exciting research in the world is being undertaken in the field of molecular biology and medicine. Many challenges exist in identifying disease at the earliest possible stage and attempts to develop concepts to prevent and treat life threatening illnesses, e.g. like cancer on a biomedical rational.
In Europe and USA approximately one in three people get some form of cancer;  of these patients one in four die of their diseases. How can we cope with it? What can we learn from Mother Nature? Nowadays, many primary tumors – early recognized -  are treatable and can even be cured. So, where is the problem?

The problems are the metastases: Most cancer death are based on metastases induced secondary tumors.
Starting from singled out tumor cells, vascularisation (angiogenesis) is needed to support these tumor nodules with oxygene, nutrition etc.
Developing their growing vascularisation systems hastily, the tumors make mistakes leading to hyperpermeable arteries and veins by the formation of irregularities and even holes in their blood vessels.
These defects open new opportunities for tissue and cell selective localization of nanoscale drug delivery systems, which after i.v.-injection can not leave the perfect arteries and veins in healthy tissue.
Based on this concept applying polymer therapeutic has led to new dimensions in tumor chemotherapy [1-4] and tumor targeting.
Polymer antitumor agents and polymeric angiogenesis inhibitors are not only in clinical Phase I- and  Phase II-studies, but several polymer therapeutics are already in clinical use.

1. Duncan, R.: The Dawning Era of Polymer Therapeutics. Nature Reviews 2, 347 (2003).
2. Gros, L., Ringsdorf, H., Schupp, H.: Polymeric Antitumor Agents on a Molecular and on a Cellular Level? Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. Engl., 20, 305 (1981).
3.  “Polymer Drugs in the Clinical State. Advantages and Prospects.” Adv. In Exp. Medicine and Biology, Vol. 519 (2003), edited by Maeda, H., Kabanov, A., Kataoka, K., Okano, T.  
4. Satchi-Fainaro, R., Puder, M., Folkman, J. et. al.: “Targeting angiogenesis with conjugate of HPM copolymer and TNP-470”, Nature Medicine, 10, 255 (2004).