Abstract

Significance By 2030, there will be over 4 million radiation-treated cancer survivors living in the US. Irradiation triggers inflammation, fibroblast activation, and extracellular matrix deposition in addition to reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, leading to a chronic inflammatory response. Radiation-induced fibrosis (RIF) is a progressive pathology resulting in skin pigmentation, reduced elasticity, ulceration and dermal thickening, cosmetic deformity, pain, and the need for reconstructive surgery. Recent Advances Deferoxamine (DFO) is an FDA-approved iron chelator for blood dyscrasia management, which has been found to be pro-angiogenic, to decrease free radical formation, and reduce cell death. DFO has shown great promise in the treatment and prophylaxis of RIF in preclinical studies. Critical Issues Systemic DFO has a short half-life and is cumbersome to deliver to patients intravenously. Transdermal DFO delivery is complicated by its high atomic mass and hydrophilicity, preventing stratum corneum penetration. A transdermal drug delivery system was developed to address these challenges, in addition to a strategy for topical administration. Future Directions DFO has great potential to translate from bench to bedside. An important step in translation of DFO for RIF prophylaxis is to ensure that DFO treatment does not affect the efficacy of radiation therapy. Furthermore, following an initial plethora of studies reporting DFO treatment by intravenous and subcutaneous routes, a significant advantage of recent studies is the success of transdermal and topical delivery. Given the strong foundation of basic scientific research supporting the use of DFO treatment on RIF, clinicians will be closely following the results of the ongoing human studies.

View details for DOI 10.1089/wound.2021.0021

View details for PubMedID 34074152