Lipo-polymeric Nano-carriers Containing MicroRNA-34a and Docetaxel for the Treatment of Breast Cancer

Cancer is a group of diseases involving the uncontrolled cellular proliferation wherein these rapidly growing cells demonstrates six hallmarks, i.e., 1) sustained and proliferative signaling mechanism, 2) cell death resistance, 3) growth suppressor evasion, 4) invasion and metastasis activation, 5) angiogenesis induction, and 6) enabling of replicative immortality. There are more than a hundred types of cancers identified to date that are classified based upon the tissues from where they originated. The most common cancers include lung cancer (incidence 11.6 % and mortality 18.4%), breast cancer (incidence 11.6 % and mortality 6.6%), colorectal cancer (incidence 10.2 % and mortality 9.2 %), prostate cancer (incidence 7.1 % and mortality 3.5 %), stomach cancer (incidence 5.7 % and mortality 8.2 %) and liver cancer (incidence 4.7 % and mortality 8.2 %). Among these, breast cancer is the second most common cancer and as per WHO, the total number of breast cancer cases will reach 27.78 million by 2040.

Breast cancer originates from the malignant cells within the inner lining of the milk ducts (tiny tubes that carry the milk from the lobules to the nipple) or glands (lobules, milk- producing gland) or less frequently in the stromal tissues (fatty tissue and connective tissue surrounding the ducts and lobules, blood vessels, and lymphatic vessels) [5]. The diagnostic screening of breast cancer was performed by mammography either before symptoms appear or after lump formation [6]. After cancer detection, the fine or large needle biopsy was performed for microscopic observations of cancer. Treatment strategies and prognosis of breast cancer are based upon the severity and its spreadness. Two major cancer staging systems have been adopted for statistical and descriptive analysis of tumor registry data. These are the American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system and the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) summary staging system. The system is further subdivided into two principal groups, i.e., anatomic and prognostic.