ICG-Loaded PEGylated BSA-Silver Nanoparticles for Effective Photothermal Cancer Therapy

Nanoparticle Systems for Cancer Phototherapy: An Overview

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) are photo-mediated treatments with different mechanisms of action that can be addressed for cancer treatment. Both phototherapies are highly successful and barely or non-invasive types of treatment that have gained attention in the past few years. The death of cancer cells because of the application of these therapies is caused by the formation of reactive oxygen species, that leads to oxidative stress for the case of photodynamic therapy and the generation of heat for the case of photothermal therapies. The advancement of nanotechnology allowed significant benefit to these therapies using nanoparticles, allowing both tuning of the process and an increase of effectiveness. The encapsulation of drugs, development of the most different organic and inorganic nanoparticles as well as the possibility of surfaces' functionalization are some strategies used to combine phototherapy and nanotechnology, with the aim of an effective treatment with minimal side effects. This article presents an overview on the use of nanostructures in association with phototherapy, in the view of cancer treatment.

Self-assembled recombinant camel serum albumin nanoparticles-encapsulated hemin with peroxidase-like activity for colorimetric detection of hydrogen peroxide and glucose

The construction of enzyme mimics using protein protection layers possesses advantages of high biocompatibility and superior catalytic activity, which is desirable for biomedical applications including diseases diagnosis. Here, from E. coli expression system, recombinant protein of camel serum albumin (rCSA) from Camelus bactrianus was successfully obtained to encapsulate hemin via the self-assemble method without additional toxic organic reagents. As compared with that of horseradish peroxidase, the produced rCSA-hemin nanoparticles exhibited enhanced enzyme-mimicking activity and stability under harsh experimental conditions. Additionally, the steady-state kinetic analysis of rCSA-hemin in the solution revealed its higher affinity to the substrates. Therefore, a colorimetric detection method of H₂O₂ and glucose was constructed with a linear range of 2.5-500 μM with an LOD of 2.39 and 2.42 μM, respectively, which was also applied for the determination of glucose in the serum samples with satisfying recovery ratio ranging from 101.1% to 112.1%. The constructed camel protein-derived nanozyme system of remarkable stability holds promising potentials for the versatile biomedical uses.

Determination of the Wavelength-Dependent Photothermal Conversion Efficiency of Photosensitizers for Photothermal Therapy: Application to Ag2S-Glutathione Quantum Dots

Nanoparticles have become popular photosensitizers for photothermal therapy (PTT), as they can be targeted to specific cancer tissues and deliver a chemotherapeutic drug, providing a multimodal therapeutic approach. Photothermal conversion efficiency of nanoparticles is critical in the assessment of their therapeutic use in PTT. We describe an accurate calorimetric method for the determination of the photothermal conversion efficiency of nanoparticles in solution. A tightly focused laser beam was used to irradiate a cuvette containing a solution of silver sulfide-glutathione quantum dots (Ag₂S-GSH QDs), and the maximum steady-state temperature rise was measured with an infrared camera. The data were analyzed using two different photothermal conversion efficiencies, the intrinsic and external conversion efficiencies, to relate the induced heating power of the nanoparticles to the absorbed and incident optical powers, respectively. Measurements with a tunable Ti³⁺:sapphire laser showed that the intrinsic photothermal conversion efficiency of Ag₂S-GSH QDs exceeded 91% over the 720-810 nm wavelength range. The method was also used to analyze poly(acrylic acid)-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (PAA/SPIONs), and the intrinsic photothermal conversion efficiency was determined to be 83.4% at 810 nm. This approach is useful for the evaluation of various potential nanoparticles for photothermal therapy applications.

Construction of multifunctional porcine acellular dermal matrix hydrogel blended with vancomycin for hemorrhage control, antibacterial action, and tissue repair in infected trauma wounds

Prevention of bacterial infection and reduction of hemorrhage, the primary challenges posed by trauma before hospitalization, are essential steps in prolonging the patient's life until they have been transported to a trauma center. Extracellular matrix (ECM) hydrogel is a promising biocompatible material for accelerating wound closure. However, due to the lack of antibacterial properties, this hydrogel is difficult to be applied to acute contaminated wounds. This study formulates an injectable dermal extracellular matrix hydrogel (porcine acellular dermal matrix (ADM)) as a scaffold for skin defect repair. The hydrogel combines vancomycin, an antimicrobial agent for inducing hemostasis, expediting antimicrobial activity, and promoting tissue repair. The hydrogel possesses a porous structure beneficial for the adsorption of vancomycin. The antimicrobial agent can be timely released from the hydrogel within an hour, which is less than the time taken by bacteria to infest an injury, with a cumulative release rate of approximately 80%, and thus enables a relatively fast bactericidal effect. The cytotoxicity investigation demonstrates the biocompatibility of the ADM hydrogel. Dynamic coagulation experiments reveal accelerated blood coagulation by the hydrogel. In vivo antibacterial and hemostatic experiments on a rat model indicate the healing of infected tissue and effective control of hemorrhaging by the hydrogel. Therefore, the vancomycin-loaded ADM hydrogel will be a viable biomaterial for controlling hemorrhage and preventing bacterial infections in trauma patients.

BSA-Silver Nanoparticles: A Potential Multimodal Therapeutics for Conventional and Photothermal Treatment of Skin Cancer

Silver nanoparticles (NPs) have attracted a considerable interest in the field of cancer research due to their potential utility in cancer therapy. In the present study, we developed bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated silver NPs (BSA-Silver NPs) and characterized in vitro multimodal therapeutic activities of NPs for the treatment of skin cancer. BSA-Silver NPs were synthesized by a single-step reduction process, and the successful preparation was verified through a list of physical characterizations, including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-visible (UV–VIS) light spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering (DLS), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The synthesized BSA-Silver NPs showed marked cytocidal effects on B16F10 melanoma cells, which was likely caused by oxidative stress. BSA-Silver NPs also elicited significant anti-angiogenic effects on HUVEC (human umbilical vein endothelial cell) by inhibiting their proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Moreover, BSA-Silver NPs showed a considerable light-to-heat conversion ability, suggesting their utility as photothermal agents. Overall, our findings suggest that BSA-Silver NPs may be promising candidates for the multimodal therapy of skin cancer.

BSA/Silver Nanoparticle-Loaded Hydrogel Film for Local Photothermal Treatment of Skin Cancer

PURPOSE

To develop a hydrogel film containing bovine serum albumin (BSA)-coated silver nanoparticles (BSA/AgNP) and evaluate its applicability for topical photothermal treatment (PTT) of skin cancer.

METHODS

BSA/AgNP-loaded hydrogel films were prepared and their swelling, bioadhesive, mechanical, and photothermal properties were characterized in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

The synthesized BSA/AgNP exhibited a narrow size distribution with good size stability and, notably, possessed great photothermal activity that could stably maintain through repetitive laser irradiation. The BSA/AgNP-loaded hydrogel films showed favorable swelling, bioadhesive, tensile, and photothermal properties. Based on these results, when tested the anti-cancer effects in B16F10 s.c. tumor-bearing mice, the PTT with the topical treatment of BSA/AgNP-loaded hydrogel films could significantly inhibit the tumor growth by a single treatment with no apparent toxicity.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, the results of this study demonstrated that the BSA/AgNP-loaded hydrogel films may serve as an effective but safe topical PTT agent for the treatment of skin cancer.