A journey through the emergence of nanomedicines with poly(alkylcyanoacrylate) based nanoparticles

Abstract

Starting in the late 1970s, the pioneering work of Patrick Couvreur gave birth to the first biodegradable nanoparticles composed of a biodegradable synthetic polymer. These nanoparticles, made of poly(alkylcyanoacrylate) (PACA), were the first synthetic polymer-based nanoparticulate drug carriers undergoing a phase III clinical trial so far. Analyzing the journey from the birth of PACA nanoparticles to their clinical evaluation, this paper highlights their remarkable adaptability to bypass various drug delivery challenges found on the way. At present, PACA nanoparticles include a wide range of nanoparticles that can associate drugs of different chemical nature and can be administered in vivo by different routes. The most recent technologies giving the nanoparticles customised functions could also be implemented on this family of nanoparticles. Through different examples, this paper discusses the seminal role of the PACA nanoparticles’ family in the development of nanomedicines.

Keywords:

• Poly(alkylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles
• drug delivery
• drug targeting
• cancer
• clinical trials

Acknowledgments

The author addresses her warm thanks to Gilles Ponchel for helpful discussions and critical readings of several parts of the manuscript during preparation; Elias Fattal, the guest editor of this special issues, for his invitation to write a paper on the honor of Patrick Couvreur focused on the works done on PACA nanoparticles. The author has been a close coworker of Patrick Couvreur from 1987 to about 2003 while strong collaborations have continued since then. The author thanks Patrick for having shared the exploration of the potential of polymer nanoparticles to improve drug delivery performances, for his friendship, enthusiasm and for all the inspiring ideas shared while progressing on knowledge needed to improve the design of those nanoparticles.

Disclosure statement

The author has been a close coworker of the researcher to whom this paper is dedicated.