Development and Application of Hyaluronic Acid in Tumor Targeting Drug Delivery

Publication date: Available online 20 June 2019Source: Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica BAuthor(s): Zhijian Luo, Yan Dai, Huile GaoAbstractHyaluronic acid (HA) is a natural polysaccharide that has gained much attention due to its biocompatibility, enzyme degradation capacity and active tumor targeting capacity. Its receptor, CD44, is overexpressed in many kinds of cancers and is associated with tumor progress, infiltration and metastasis. Therefore, many researchers have developed various HA-based drug delivery systems for CD44-mediated tumor targeting. In this review, we systemically overview the basic theory of HA, its receptor and hyaluronidase, then we categorize the studies in HA-based drug delivery systems according to the functions of HA, including tumor-targeting materials, enzyme-sensitive biodegradable modality, pH-sensitive component, reduction-sensitive component, and the gel backbone. Finally, the perspective is discussed.Graphical abstractThe review summarizes various applications of hyaluronic acid in tumor targeting drug delivery systems based on the specific CD44-targeting capacity and the hyaluronidase degradation property.
Source: Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B - Category: Cancer & Oncology Source Type: research