Nanotherapeutic formulations of enzyme inhibitors targeting cancer and neuroinflammation: An updated review

With roughly 19.3 million new cases and 10 million deaths from cancer in 2020. Cancer is one of the leading causes of the global increase in mortality rates. Approximately 90 % of cancer fatalities are caused by metastases, which are the hallmark of the spread of cancer throughout the body and are essential for cause-associated mortality. Cancer patients suffer from a high degree of depression, anxiety, and cognitive disorders due to neuroinflammation as one of the major mechanisms. This review presents an update of the well-studied pathways involved in cancer progression and metastasis. The phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/Akt/mTOR), rat sarcoma (RAS), WINGLESS-related integration site/β-catenin (WNT/β-catenin), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and Notch pathways are among the signaling pathways implicated in neuroinflammation and cancer. Owing to their multifunctionality and ability to deliver chemotherapeutic agents specifically to tumor sites, nanomedicine has drawn much attention as a means of overcoming the main obstacles in cancer therapy strategies caused by drug resistance, increased tumor heterogeneity, and enhanced systemic toxicity. Enzyme inhibitors, including small molecules, natural phytochemicals, and synthetic compounds, need to specifically target cancer cells to improve their therapeutic benefits, as they possess poor solubility, causing side effects, and low bioavailability. Thus, the development of bioengineered nanoparticles, formulations, and nanovehicles is required to improve therapeutic benefits for patients.