Inorganic Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems and Their Potential Role in the Treatment of Chronic Myelogenous Leukaemia

Chronic myeloid leukemia is a myeloproliferative disease where cells of myeloid linage display a t(9;22) chromosomal translocation leading to the formation of the BCR/ABL fusion gene and the continuous activation of tyrosine kinases. This malignancy has a peak incidence at 45 to 85 years, accounting for 15% of all leukemias in adults. Controlling the activity of tyrosine kinase became the main strategy in chronic myeloid leukemia treatment, with imatinib being placed at the forefront of current treatment protocols. New approaches in future anticancer therapy are emerging with nanomedicine being gradually implemented. Setting through a thorough survey of published literature, this review discusses the use of inorganic nanoparticles in chronic myeloid leukemia therapy. After an introduction on the basics of chronic myeloid leukemia, a description of the current treatment modalities of chronic myeloid leukemia and drug-resistance mechanisms is presented. This is followed by a general view on the applications of nanostrategies in medicine and then a detailed breakdown of inorganic nanocarriers and their uses in chronic myeloid leukemia treatment