Posted by The application of cyclodextrins as excipients is wellspread, common knowledge worldwide. Their application as APIs is getting huge publicity, developments are conducted in every direction, companies are developing generic versions of Sugammadex, several candidates are proposed to treat Niemann Pick C, new studies show efficacy in cholesterol releated and other CNS diseases, even cancer. Acedemic groups constantly demonstate power in developing CD-based drug delivery systems. Among all these application, little attention is driven to their potential use as diagnostic, or even more so their theranostic applications. Still, there is a potential in that area as well.
A recent article in Nature Communications is reporting on the preparation of theranostic shell-crosslinked nanoparticles (SCNPs) using a β-cyclodextrin-based polyrotaxane (PDI-PCL-b-PEG-RGD⊃β-CD-NH2) to avoid premature drug leakage and achieve precisely controllable release, enhancing the maximum tolerated dose of the supramolecular nanomedicines. A similar approach was reported in 2012, when multifunctional hybrid nanoparticles (Fe@Si–DOX–CD–PEG) composed of an Fe3O4 core, a mesoporous silica shell, and GSH-responsive CD gatekeepers proved to be an excellent platform for anticancer drug delivery and MR imaging. In other papers, cyclodextrin-based magnetic colloidal nanoparticles have been developed and fabricated to achieve targeted delivery of hydrophobic anticancer drugs. These theranostic nanocomposite magnetic particles possessed multifunctional properties like cell targeting, fluorescence imaging, and delayed release. Zafar et al summarized in 2014 in their review the colloidal particles containing labeling agents and cyclodextrins for theranostic applications.
So what do you think? Is this an area to truly consider as a new trend, promising new field for theranostics, or is rather interesting science without commercial interest?