Hyaluronic Acid Derivatives for Targeted Cancer Therapy

Abstract

Targeted therapeutics are considered next generation cancer therapy because they overcome many limitations of traditional chemotherapy. Cancerous cells may be targeted by various hyaluronic acid modified nanovehicles that kill these cells. Particularly, hyaluronic acid and its derivatives bind with high affinity to cell surface protein, CD44 enriched tumor cells. Moreover, these molecules have the added advantage of being biocompatible and biodegradable, and may be conjugated with a variety of drugs and drug carriers for developing various formulations as anti-cancer therapies such as nanogels, self-assembled and metallic nanoparticulates. In this chapter, we have covered various aspects of hyaluronic acid-modified delivery systems including strategies for synthesis, characterization, and biocompatibility. Next, the use of hyaluronic acid-modified systems as anti-cancer therapies is discussed. Finally, the delivery of small molecules, and other pharmaceutical agents are also elaborated in this chapter.