In these recent years nanotechnology has gained interest as a powerful tool for drug delivery. It allows to overcome important drawbacks such as drug poor physico-chemical proprieties, toxicity and bioavailability challenges thereby ensuring better therapeutic efficacy with low side-effects and, sometimes, it permits to discover new drug applications. This review aims to analyse the impact of nanotechnology in the pharmaceutical development of VERTEPORFIN (VP), a benzoporphyrin derivative, which was conceived as second generation photosensitizer (PS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT), and later became a milestone in ophthalmology for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD) disease. VP photoinduced and non-photoinduced biological features will be surveyed and nanotechnology implication in improving VP performances outlined. Currently, VP loaded nanostructured delivery systems (VP-nanoSs), administered alone or in combination with other drugs, are widely studied for the treatment of many widespread diseases including several tumoral forms and severe fibrotic conditions.
Nanotechnology, a booster for the multitarget drug verteporfin
Greco A.;Chiesa E.;Riva F.;Dorati R.;Modena T.;Conti B.;Genta I.
2021-01-01
Abstract
In these recent years nanotechnology has gained interest as a powerful tool for drug delivery. It allows to overcome important drawbacks such as drug poor physico-chemical proprieties, toxicity and bioavailability challenges thereby ensuring better therapeutic efficacy with low side-effects and, sometimes, it permits to discover new drug applications. This review aims to analyse the impact of nanotechnology in the pharmaceutical development of VERTEPORFIN (VP), a benzoporphyrin derivative, which was conceived as second generation photosensitizer (PS) in photodynamic therapy (PDT), and later became a milestone in ophthalmology for treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD) disease. VP photoinduced and non-photoinduced biological features will be surveyed and nanotechnology implication in improving VP performances outlined. Currently, VP loaded nanostructured delivery systems (VP-nanoSs), administered alone or in combination with other drugs, are widely studied for the treatment of many widespread diseases including several tumoral forms and severe fibrotic conditions.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
