These formulations have proven to be AUY-922 effective in this tumour and their design keep them stable at normal body temperature of 37°C, but they become unstable at slightly higher temperatures as those existing inside the tumours. This system has also demonstrated a higher accumulation of the drug within the tumour and a facilitated release of the encapsulated drug [10]. An alternative strategy used to increase the therapeutic index of liposome-based drugs is based on improving the colocalization between the chemotherapeutic agent and the breast cancer cell. In

some cases, this Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical strategy can also include an improvement of the internalization of the drug into them as when cell surface receptors involved in endocytosis take part. In general, these Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical formulations involve modifications of the liposome surface to contain ligands that are specifically recognized by receptors overexpressed

in the breast cancer cell surface. Several of these strategies have been recently published. For example, anti-HER2 immunoliposomes have proven much more effective against HER2-overexpressing breast cancer cells when compared with nontargeted liposomes. In one study, targeted liposomes were formulated with a Fab of recombinant humanized Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody [11]. Estrogen receptor is a particularly attractive target as it is overexpressed in a large amount of breast cancer cell lines [12]. Several studies incorporating Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical either estradiol or estrone to liposomes to use them as a ligand against estrogen-expressing breast cancer have been reported. In one study, the accumulation of these estrogen-targeted liposomes was approximately six times higher than that observed with nontargeted liposomes [13]. 2. Metastatic Breast Cancer Treatment

and Liposomal Anthracyclines Pharmacology Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease that includes a variety of biological Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical types with different treatment options and clinical outcomes. Metastatic breast cancer (MBC) is a chronic and incurable disease, with a median survival of approximately 2-3 years. Although advances have been made in the management of MBC, long-term survivors Oxygenase are rare, with 5-year survival rates varying from 5% to 10%. At present, prognosis and treatment selection are based on tumor biology and molecular characterization. In particular, multigene array and expression analyses have provided a molecular classification for breast tumor. The most important subtypes are luminal A and B, Her2/neu, and basal like [14, 15]. Characterization of tumor biology (estrogen and progesterone receptors, Ki-67 and Her2) and clinical history (past treatment, patient symptoms, and functional status) is critical for selecting treatment in MBC. Quality of life is an important issue to consider when choosing a therapeutic option.