Innate Priming of Neutrophils Potentiates Systemic Multiorgan Injury

Excessive inflammatory reactions mediated by first-responder cells such as neutrophils contribute to the severity of multiorgan failure associated with systemic injury and infection. Systemic subclinical endotoxemia due to mucosal leakage may aggravate neutrophil activation and tissue injury. However, mechanisms responsible for neutrophil inflammatory polarization are not well understood. In this study, we demonstrate that subclinical low-dose endotoxemia can potently polarize neutrophils into an inflammatory state in vivo and in vitro, as reflected in elevated expression of adhesion molecules such as ICAM-1 and CD29, and reduced expression of suppressor molecule CD244. When subjected to a controlled administration of gut-damaging chemical dextran sulfate sodium, mice conditioned with subclinical dose LPS exhibit significantly elevated infiltration of neutrophils into organs such as liver, colon, and spleen, associated with severe multiorgan damage as measured by biochemical as well as histological assays. Subclinical dose LPS is sufficient to induce potent activation of SRC kinase as well as downstream activation of STAT1/STAT5 in neutrophils, contributing to the inflammatory neutrophil polarization. We also demonstrate that the administration of 4-phenylbutyric acid, an agent known to relieve cell stress and enhance peroxisome function, can reduce the activation of SRC kinase and enhance the expression of suppressor molecule CD244 in neutrophils. We show that i.v. injection of 4-phenylbutyric acid conditioned neutrophils can effectively reduce the severity of multiorgan damage in mice challenged with dextran sulfate sodium. Collectively, our data, to our knowledge, reveal novel inflammatory polarization of neutrophils by subclinical endotoxemia conducive for aggravated multiorgan damage as well as potential therapeutic intervention.

Theoretical study of interaction of Fe13O8@Zn48O48 cluster with dopamine: Magnetic and optical properties

In this study, we modelled the interaction of Fe₁₃O₈ and Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈ (core@shell) cluster with a biologically active dopamine molecule using density functional theory. First, the electronic, magnetic and optical properties of core@shell, Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈ cluster investigated and compared with isolated Fe₁₃O₈ and Zn₄₈O₄₈ clusters. Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈ cluster is found to be energetically stable. For Fe₁₃O₈ and Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈ clusters have the net magnetic moment 42 μ_B. The decrease in HOMO-LUMO gap of core@shell cluster as compared to that of isolated clusters reflects the higher reactivity. The results of the site dependent interaction of Fe₁₃O₈ and Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈ clusters with dopamine molecule are presented. The interaction strength is determined in terms of the cluster-dopamine complex binding energy and found to be enhanced for core@shell cluster than the Fe₁₃O₈. Furthermore, the calculated results predict that in presence of dopamine, the magnetic moment of Fe₁₃O₈ and Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈ cluster remains unaffected. The analysis of optical spectra of core@shell indicates the obvious red shift compared to Zn₄₈O₄₈ clusters. The optical spectra of Fe₁₃O₈@Zn₄₈O₄₈-dopamine shows the higher oscillator strength as compared to that of Fe₁₃O₈-dopamine complex. Fe₁₃O₈-dopamine complex gives rise to more quenched oscillator strengths as compared to that of bare iron oxide cluster. These results indicate interesting magneto-optical behaviour, which can be useful for biomedical applications.

Cancer therapy with iron oxide nanoparticles: Agents of thermal and immune therapies

Significant research and preclinical investment in cancer nanomedicine has produced several products, which have improved cancer care. Nevertheless, there exists a perception that cancer nanomedicine 'has not lived up to its promise' because the number of approved products and their clinical performance are modest. Many of these analyses do not consider the long clinical history and many clinical products developed from iron oxide nanoparticles. Iron oxide nanoparticles have enjoyed clinical use for about nine decades demonstrating safety, and considerable clinical utility and versatility. FDA-approved applications of iron oxide nanoparticles include cancer diagnosis, cancer hyperthermia therapy, and iron deficiency anemia. For cancer nanomedicine, this wealth of clinical experience is invaluable to provide key lessons and highlight pitfalls in the pursuit of nanotechnology-based cancer therapeutics. We review the clinical experience with systemic liposomal drug delivery and parenteral therapy of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) with iron oxide nanoparticles. We note that the clinical success of injectable iron exploits the inherent interaction between nanoparticles and the (innate) immune system, which designers of liposomal drug delivery seek to avoid. Magnetic fluid hyperthermia, a cancer therapy that harnesses magnetic hysteresis heating is approved for treating humans only with iron oxide nanoparticles. Despite its successful demonstration to enhance overall survival in clinical trials, this nanotechnology-based thermal medicine struggles to establish a clinical presence. We review the physical and biological attributes of this approach, and suggest reasons for barriers to its acceptance. Finally, despite the extensive clinical experience with iron oxide nanoparticles new and exciting research points to surprising immune-modulating potential. Recent data demonstrate the interactions between immune cells and iron oxide nanoparticles can induce anti-tumor immune responses. These present new and exciting opportunities to explore additional applications with this venerable technology. Clinical applications of iron oxide nanoparticles present poignant case studies of the opportunities, complexities, and challenges in cancer nanomedicine. They also illustrate the need for revised paradigms and multidisciplinary approaches to develop and translate nanomedicines into clinical cancer care.

Molecular insights and novel approaches for targeting tumor metastasis

In recent years, due to the effective drug delivery and preciseness of tumor sites or microenvironment, the targeted drug delivery approaches have gained ample attention for tumor metastasis therapy. The conventional treatment approaches for metastasis therapy have reported with immense adverse effects because they exhibited maximum probability of killing the carcinogenic cells along with healthy cells. The tumor vasculature, comprising of vasculogenic impressions and angiogenesis, greatly depends upon the growth and metastasis in the tumors. Therefore, various nanocarriers-based delivery approaches for targeting to tumor vasculature have been attempted as efficient and potential approaches for the treatment of tumor metastasis and the associated lesions. Furthermore, the targeted drug delivery approaches have found to be most apt way to overcome from all the limitations and adverse effects associated with the conventional therapies. In this review, various approaches for efficient targeting of pharmacologically active chemotherapeutics against tumor metastasis with the cohesive objectives of prognosis, tracking and therapy are summarized.

Hexahistidine-Metal Assemblies: A Facile and Effective Codelivery System of Subunit Vaccines for Potent Humoral and Cellular Immune Responses

Fully effective vaccines must induce both potent humoral and cellular immunities. Nanoparticles coencapsulating antigens and adjuvants have shown promising advantages as subunit vaccines in many aspects. However, the low loading efficiency and complicated synthesis process of these nanomaterials need to be improved. Here, we utilized hexahistidine (His₆)-metal assembly (HmA) particles as carriers to codeliver ovalbumin peptides and cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODNs). We found that antigen/adjuvant-carrying HmA can efficiently enter into antigen-presenting cells and help the antigens escape from lysosomes to induce the maturation of these cells in vitro, characterized by increasing expression levels of costimulatory molecules and cytokines. More importantly, the vaccines with high biocompatibility can elicit strong humoral and cellular immunities by improving secretion of specific antibodies and cytokines, enhancing activation of DCs and T cells in vivo. Our results suggest that HmA provides a new approach for subunit vaccines by codelivery of antigens and adjuvants.

Magnetic and near-infrared derived heating characteristics of dimercaptosuccinic acid coated uniform Fe@Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles

Among the number of hyperthermia materials, magnetic nanoparticles have received much attention. In this work, we studied the heating characteristics of uniform Fe@Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticle under near-infrared laser irradiation and external AC magnetic field applying. The Fe@Fe3O4 core-shell nanoparticles were prepared by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl and followed by controlled oxidation. The prepared uniform particles were further coated with dimercaptosuccinic acid to make them well dispersed in water. Near-infrared derived photothermal study of solutions containing a different concentration of the core-shell nanoparticles was made by using 808 nm laser Source. Additionally, magnetic hyperthermia ability of the Fe@Fe3O4 nanoparticle at 150 kHz and various oersted (140-180 Oe) condition was systemically characterized. The Fe@Fe3O4 nanoparticles which exhibited effective photo and magnetic hyperthermia are expected to be used in biomedical application.

Dendritic cells reprogrammed by CEA messenger RNA loaded multi-functional silica nanospheres for imaging-guided cancer immunotherapy

The application and understanding of dendritic cell (DC) based immune cancer therapy are largely hindered by insufficient or improper presentation of antigens and the inability to track the homing of reprogrammed DCs to draining lymph nodes in real-time. To tackle these challenges, multi-functional and hierarchically structured silica nanospheres are rationally designed and fabricated, which encapsulate quantum dots to permit near infrared deep tissue imaging and are loaded with carcinoembryonic antigen messenger RNA (CEAmRNA) to enable stable and abundant antigen expression in DCs. After being injected into animals and inducing an antigen-specific immune response, the homing process of reprogrammed labelled DCs from peripheral tissues to draining lymph nodes can be simultaneously and precisely tracked. Significant inhibition of tumor growth is achieved via strong antigen-specific immune responses including induced DC maturation, enhanced T cell proliferation and cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)-mediated responses. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments demonstrate the high effectiveness of this new strategy of imaging-guided cancer immunotherapy by using reprogrammed DCs as immunotherapeutic and tracking agents.

The Effect of Oligomerization on A Solid-Binding Peptide Binding to Silica-Based Materials

The bifunctional linker-protein G (LPG) fusion protein comprises a peptide (linker) sequence and a truncated form of Streptococcus strain G148 protein G (protein G). The linker represents a multimeric solid-binding peptide (SBP) comprising 4 × 21-amino acid sequence repeats that display high binding affinity towards silica-based materials. In this study, several truncated derivatives were investigated to determine the effect of the SBP oligomerization on the silica binding function of LPG (for the sake of clarity, LPG will be referred from here on as 4 × LPG). Various biophysical characterization techniques were used to quantify and compare the truncated derivatives against 4 × LPG and protein G without linker (PG). The derivative containing two sequence repeats (2 × LPG) showed minimal binding to silica, while the truncated derivative with only a single sequence (1 × LPG) displayed no binding. The derivative containing three sequence repeats (3 × LPG) was able to bind to silica with a binding affinity of K_D = 53.23 ± 4.5 nM, which is 1.5 times lower than that obtained for 4 × LPG under similar experimental conditions. Circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy studies indicated that the SBP degree of oligomerization has only a small effect on the secondary structure (the linker unravels the beginning of the protein G sequence) and chemical stability of the parent protein G. However, based on quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), oligomerization is an important parameter for a strong and stable binding to silica. The replacement of three sequence repeats by a (GGGGS)₁₂ glycine-rich spacer indicated that the overall length rather than the SBP oligomerization mediated the effective binding to silica.

The choice of anti-tumor strategies based on micromolecules or drug loading function of biomaterials

With advances in modern medicine, diverse tumor therapies have been developed. However, because of a lack of effective methods, the delivery of drugs or micromolecules in the human body has many limitations. Biomaterials are natural or synthetic functional materials that are prone to contact or interact with living systems. Therefore, the application of biomaterials provides innovative anti-tumor strategies, especially in tumor targeting, chemotherapy sensitization, tumor immunotherapy. The combination of biomaterials and drugs provides a promising strategy to overcome the biological barriers of drug delivery. Nanomaterials can target specific tumor sites to enhance the efficiency of tumor therapies and decrease the toxicity of drug through passive targeting, active targeting and direct targeting. Additionally, biomaterials can be used to enhance the sensitivity of tumor cells to chemotherapy drugs. Furthermore, modifiable biomaterials can induce effective anti-tumor immune response. Currently, the developmental trend of biomaterial for drug delivery is motivated by the combination and diversification of different therapies. With interdisciplinary development, a variety of anti-tumor strategies will emerge in an endless stream to bring great hope for tumor therapy. In this review, we will discuss the anti-tumor strategies based on nanoparticles and injectable scaffolds.

Luminescent anticancer Ru(II)-arenebipyridine and phenanthroline complexes: Synthesis, characterization, DFT studies, biological interactions and cellular imaging application

A series of ruthenium(II)-arene complexes of several bipyridine and phenanthroline derivatives have been synthesized by employing a green and efficient protocol involving water as a solvent under sonication. The structures of all the complexes were elucidated by the spectroscopic analysis. The geometry of the chlorido and PTA (1,3,5-Triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) complexes were further confirmed by DFT and single crystal XRD. The stability study in various solvents, specifically in the intracellular one was conducted. Most of the compounds exhibited significant potency and selectivity against MCF7 and HeLa cell lines with respect to normal HEK-293 cells compared to cisplatin and RAPTA-C (Ruthenium(II)-arene PTA complex). Complex [(η6-hexamethylbenzene)RuCl(κ2-N,N-4,4'-di-n-nonyl-2,2'-bpy)]Cl (3e) presented best anticancer profiles against all the human cancer cells. Interestingly, few complexes turned up to be highly fluorescent depicted by the quantum yield values. Remarkably, [(η6-p-cymene)RuCl(κ2-N,N-bpy)]Cl (3i) was identified as most significant anticancer theranostic agent interms of potency, selectivity and fluorescence quantum yield. This complex also represented itself as significant cellular imaging agent in live U-87 MG cells which was monitored by confocal microscope. Absorption and emission spectral studies of bypyridine and phenanthroline complex series revealed that the complexes interacted with calf thymus DNA through groove binding as well as intercalative mode. In addition to this, strong binding efficacy of these scaffolds wih BSA (Bovin Serum Albumin) also enhanced their transportation property inside the cells.

Danger matrix molecules orchestrate CD14/CD44 signaling in cancer development

The tumor matrix together with inflammation and autophagy are crucial regulators of cancer development. Embedded in the tumor stroma are numerous proteoglycans which, in their soluble form, act as danger-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs). By interacting with innate immune receptors, the Toll-like receptors (TLRs), DAMPs autonomously trigger aseptic inflammation and can regulate autophagy. Biglycan, a known danger proteoglycan, can regulate the cross-talk between inflammation and autophagy by evoking a switch between pro-inflammatory CD14 and pro-autophagic CD44 co-receptors for TLRs. Thus, these novel mechanistic insights provide some explanation for the plethora of reports indicating that the same matrix-derived DAMP acts either as a promoter or suppressor of tumor growth. In this review we will summarize and critically discuss the role of the matrix-derived DAMPs biglycan, hyaluronan, and versican in regulating the TLR-, CD14- and CD44-signaling dialogue between inflammation and autophagy with particular emphasis on cancer development.

Pathogen-Associated Molecular Pattern-Induced TLR2 and TLR4 Activation Increases Keratinocyte Production of Inflammatory Mediators and is Inhibited by Phosphatidylglycerol

Skin serves not only as a protective barrier to microbial entry into the body but also as an immune organ. The outer layer, the epidermis, is composed predominantly of keratinocytes, which can be stimulated to produce proinflammatory mediators. Although some inflammation is useful to defend against infection, excessive or persistent inflammation can lead to the development of inflammatory skin diseases, such as psoriasis, a common skin disorder affecting approximately 2% of the US population. We have previously found that phosphatidylglycerol (PG) derived from soy can inhibit inflammation in a contact irritant ear edema mouse model. Here, we investigated the ability of soy PG to inhibit inflammatory mediator expression in response to activators of the pattern recognition receptors, toll-like receptor-2 (TLR2) and -4 (TLR4). We found that in epidermal keratinocytes, soy PG inhibited TLR2 and TLR4 activation and inflammatory mediator expression in response to a synthetic triacylated lipopeptide and lipopolysaccharide, respectively, as well as an endogenous danger-associated molecular pattern. However, at higher concentrations, soy PG alone enhanced the expression of some proinflammatory cytokines, suggesting a narrow therapeutic window for this lipid. Dioleoylphosphatidylglycerol (DOPG), but not dioleoylphosphatidylcholine, exerted a similar inhibitory effect, completely blocking keratinocyte inflammatory mediator expression induced by TLR2 and TLR4 activators as well as NFκB activation in a macrophage cell line (RAW264.7); however, DOPG was not itself proinflammatory even at high concentrations. Furthermore, DOPG had no effect on NFκB activation in response to a TLR7/8 agonist. Our results suggest that DOPG could be used to inhibit excessive skin inflammation. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: Although inflammation is beneficial for clearing an infection, in some cases, the infection can be excessive and/or become chronic, thereby resulting in considerable tissue damage and pathological conditions. We show here that the phospholipid phosphatidylglycerol can inhibit the activation of toll-like receptors 2 and 4 of the innate immune system as well as the downstream inflammatory mediator expression in response to microbial component-mimicking agents in epidermal keratinocytes that form the physical barrier of the skin.

Tetramodal Imaging and Synergistic Cancer Radio-Chemotherapy Enabled by Multiple Component-Encapsulated Zeolitic Imidazolate Frameworks

The abundant species of functional nanomaterials have attracted tremendous interests as components to construct multifunctional composites for cancer theranostics. However, their distinct chemical properties substantially require a specific strategy to integrate them in harmony. Here, we report the preparation of a distinctive multifunctional composite by encapsulating small-sized semiconducting copper bismuth sulfide (CBS) nanoparticles and rare-earth down-conversion (DC) nanoparticles in larger-sized zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF8) nanoparticles, followed by loading an anticancer drug, doxorubicin (DOX). Such composites can be used for tetramodal imaging, including traditional computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging and, recently, for photoacoustic imaging and fluorescence imaging. With a pH-responsive release of the encapsulated components, synergistic radio-chemotherapy with a high (87.6%) tumor inhibition efficiency is achieved at moderate doses of the CBS&DC-ZIF8@DOX composite with X-ray irradiation. This promising strategy highlights the extending capacity of zeolitic imidazolate frameworks to encapsulate multiple distinct components for enhanced cancer imaging and therapy.

Nanoparticle mediated cancer immunotherapy

The versatility and nanoscale size have helped nanoparticles (NPs) improve the efficacy of conventional cancer immunotherapy and opened up exciting approaches to combat cancer. This review first outlines the tumor immune evasion and the defensive tumor microenvironment (TME) that hinders the activity of host immune system against tumor. Then, a detailed description on how the NP based strategies have helped improve the efficacy of conventional cancer vaccines and overcome the obstacles led by TME. Sustained and controlled drug delivery, enhanced cross presentation by immune cells, co-encapsulation of adjuvants, inhibition of immune checkpoints and intrinsic adjuvant like properties have aided NPs to improve the therapeutic efficacy of cancer vaccines. Also, NPs have been efficient modulators of TME. In this context, NPs facilitate better penetration of the chemotherapeutic drug by dissolution of the inhibitory meshwork formed by tumor associated cells, blood vessels, soluble mediators and extra cellular matrix in TME. NPs achieve this by suppression, modulation, or reprogramming of the immune cells and other mediators localised in TME. This review further summarizes the applications of NPs used to enhance the efficacy of cancer vaccines and modulate the TME to improve cancer immunotherapy. Finally, the hurdles faced in commercialization and translation to clinic have been discussed and intriguingly, NPs owe great potential to emerge as clinical formulations for cancer immunotherapy in near future.

Biomimetic Nanotechnology toward Personalized Vaccines

While traditional approaches for disease management in the era of modern medicine have saved countless lives and enhanced patient well-being, it is clear that there is significant room to improve upon the current status quo. For infectious diseases, the steady rise of antibiotic resistance has resulted in super pathogens that do not respond to most approved drugs. In the field of cancer treatment, the idea of a cure-all silver bullet has long been abandoned. As a result of the challenges facing current treatment and prevention paradigms in the clinic, there is an increasing push for personalized therapeutics, where plans for medical care are established on a patient-by-patient basis. Along these lines, vaccines, both against bacteria and tumors, are a clinical modality that could benefit significantly from personalization. Effective vaccination strategies could help to address many challenging disease conditions, but current vaccines are limited by factors such as a lack of potency and antigenic breadth. Recently, researchers have turned toward the use of biomimetic nanotechnology as a means of addressing these hurdles. Recent progress in the development of biomimetic nanovaccines for antibacterial and anticancer applications is discussed, with an emphasis on their potential for personalized medicine.

Materials for Immunotherapy

Breakthroughs in materials engineering have accelerated the progress of immunotherapy in preclinical studies. The interplay of chemistry and materials has resulted in improved loading, targeting, and release of immunomodulatory agents. An overview of the materials that are used to enable or improve the success of immunotherapies in preclinical studies is presented, from immunosuppressive to proinflammatory strategies, with particular emphasis on technologies poised for clinical translation. The materials are organized based on their characteristic length scale, whereby the enabling feature of each technology is organized by the structure of that material. For example, the mechanisms by which i) nanoscale materials can improve targeting and infiltration of immunomodulatory payloads into tissues and cells, ii) microscale materials can facilitate cell-mediated transport and serve as artificial antigen-presenting cells, and iii) macroscale materials can form the basis of artificial microenvironments to promote cell infiltration and reprogramming are discussed. As a step toward establishing a set of design rules for future immunotherapies, materials that intrinsically activate or suppress the immune system are reviewed. Finally, a brief outlook on the trajectory of these systems and how they may be improved to address unsolved challenges in cancer, infectious diseases, and autoimmunity is presented.

Nanomedicine for improvement of dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy

Dendritic cell (DC)-based cancer immunotherapy has shown impressive outcomes, including the development of the first FDA-approved anti-cancer vaccine. However, the clinical application of DC-based cancer immunotherapy is associated with various challenges. Promising novel tools for the administration of cancer vaccines has emerged from recent developments in nanoscale biomaterials. One current strategy to enhance targeted drug delivery, while minimizing drug-related toxicities, is the use of nanoparticles (NPs). These can be utilized for antigen delivery into DCs, which have been shown to provide potent T cell-stimulating effects. Therefore, NP delivery represents one promising approach for creating an effective and stable immune response without toxic side effects. The current review surveys cancer immunotherapy with particular attention toward NP-based delivery methods that target DCs.

Nano-immunoimaging

Immunoimaging is a rapidly growing field stoked in large part by the intriguing triumphs of immunotherapy. On the heels of immunotherapy's successes, there exists a growing need to evaluate tumor response to therapy particularly immunotherapy, stratify patients into responders vs. non-responders, identify inflammation, and better understand the fundamental roles of immune system components to improve both immunoimaging and immunotherapy. Innovative nanomaterials have begun to provide novel opportunities for immunoimaging, in part due to their sensitivity, modularity, capacity for many potentially varied ligands (high avidity), and potential for multifunctionality/multimodality imaging. This review strives to comprehensively summarize the integration of nanotechnology and immunoimaging, and the field's potential for clinical applications.

Immune cell engineering: opportunities in lung cancer therapeutics

Engineered immune cells offer a prime therapeutic alternate for some aggressive and frequently occurring malignancies like lung cancer. These therapies were reported to result in tumor regression and overall improvement in patient survival. However, studies also suggest that the presence of cancer cell-induced immune-suppressive microenvironment, off-target toxicity, and difficulty in concurrent imaging are some prime impendent in the success of these approaches. The present article reviews the need and significance of the currently available immune cell-based strategies for lung cancer therapeutics. It also showcases the utility of incorporating nanoengineered strategies and details the available formulations of nanocarriers. In last, it briefly discussed the existing methods for nanoparticle fuctionalization and challenges in translating basic research to the clinics. Graphical Abstract.

Nanoparticle formulated vaccines: opportunities and challenges

Vaccines harness the inherent properties of the immune system to prevent diseases or treat existing ones. Continuous efforts have been devoted to both gaining a mechanistic understanding of how the immune system operates and designing vaccines with high efficacies and effectiveness. Advancements in nanotechnology in recent years have generated unique opportunities to meet the daunting challenges associated with immunology and vaccine development. Firstly, nanoparticle formulated systems provide ideal model systems for studying the operation of the immune system, making it possible to systematically identify key factors and understand their roles in specific immune responses. Also, the versatile compositions/architectures of nanoparticle systems enable new strategies/novel platforms for developing vaccines with high efficacies and effectiveness. In this review, we discuss the advantages of nanoparticles and the challenges faced during vaccine development, through the framework of the immunological mechanisms of vaccination, with the aim of bridging the gap between immunology and materials science, which are both involved in vaccine design. The knowledge obtained provides general guidelines for future vaccine development.

Dendritic cell vaccine for the effective immunotherapy of breast cancer

Cancer vaccine is widely considered as a powerful tool in immunotherapy. In particular, the effective antigen processing and presentation natures of dendritic cell (DC) have made it a promising target for the development of therapeutic vaccine for cancer treatment. Here in our study, a versatile cancer cell membrane (CCM) coated calcium carbonate (CC) nanoparticles (MC) that capable of generating in situ tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) for DC vaccination is developed. Low-dose doxorubicin hydrochloride (Dox) could be encapsulated in the CC core of MC to trigger immunogenic cell death (ICD) while chlorins e6 (Ce6), a commonly adopted photosensitizer, was loaded in the CCM of MC for effective photodynamic therapy (PDT) through the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) to finally construct the vaccine (MC/Dox/Ce6). Most importantly, our in-depth study revealed the treatment of MC/Dox/Ce6 was able to elicit TAAs population and DC recruitment, triggering the following immune response cascade. In particular, the recruited DC cells could be stimulated in situ for effective vaccinations. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments suggested the capability of this all-in-one DDS to enhance DCs maturation to finally result in effective inhibition of both primary and distant growth of breast cancer upon single administration of low dose Dox and Ce6.

A bi-adjuvant nanovaccine that potentiates immunogenicity of neoantigen for combination immunotherapy of colorectal cancer

Neoantigen vaccines have been enthusiastically pursued for personalized cancer immunotherapy while vast majority of neoantigens have no or low immunogenicity. Here, a bi-adjuvant neoantigen nanovaccine (banNV) that codelivered a peptide neoantigen (Adpgk) with two adjuvants [Toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 agonist R848 and TLR9 agonist CpG] was developed for potent cancer immunotherapy. Specifically, banNVs were prepared by a nanotemplated synthesis of concatemer CpG, nanocondensation with cationic polypeptides, and then physical loading with hydrophobic R848 and Adpgk. The immunogenicity of the neoantigen was profoundly potentiated by efficient codelivery of neoantigen and dual synergistic adjuvants, which is accompanied by reduced acute systemic toxicity. BanNVs sensitized immune checkpoint programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) on T cells, therefore, a combination of banNVs with aPD-1 conspicuously induced the therapy response and led to complete regression of 70% neoantigen-specific tumors without recurrence. We conclude that banNVs are promising to optimize personalized therapeutic neoantigen vaccines for cancer immunotherapy.

Recent Advancements of Magnetic Nanomaterials in Cancer Therapy

Magnetic nanomaterials belong to a class of highly-functionalizable tools for cancer therapy owing to their intrinsic magnetic properties and multifunctional design that provides a multimodal theranostics platform for cancer diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy. In this review article, we have provided an overview of the various applications of magnetic nanomaterials and recent advances in the development of these nanomaterials as cancer therapeutics. Moreover, the cancer targeting, potential toxicity, and degradability of these nanomaterials has been briefly addressed. Finally, the challenges for clinical translation and the future scope of magnetic nanoparticles in cancer therapy are discussed.

Modulation of tumor microenvironment for immunotherapy: focus on nanomaterial-based strategies

Recent advances in the field of immunotherapy have profoundly opened up the potential for improved cancer therapy and reduced side effects. However, the tumor microenvironment (TME) is highly immunosuppressive, therefore, clinical outcomes of currently available cancer immunotherapy are still poor. Recently, nanomaterial-based strategies have been developed to modulate the TME for robust immunotherapeutic responses. In this review, the immunoregulatory cell types (cells relating to the regulation of immune responses) inside the TME in terms of stimulatory and suppressive roles are described, and the technologies used to identify and quantify these cells are provided. In addition, recent examples of nanomaterial-based cancer immunotherapy are discussed, with particular emphasis on those designed to overcome barriers caused by the complexity and diversity of TME.

Toll-like receptor 4: A promising crossroads in the diagnosis and treatment of several pathologies

Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) is expressed in a wide variety of cells and is the central component of the mammalian innate immune system. Since its discovery in 1997, TLR4 has been assigned an ever-increasing number of functions that extend from pathogen recognition to tissue damage identification and promotion of the intrinsic "damage repair response" in pain, intestinal, respiratory and vascular disorders. Precisely, the finding of conserved sequence homology among species along with the molecular and functional characterisation of the TLR4 gene enabled researchers to envisage a common operating system in the activation of innate immunity and the initiation of plastic changes at the onset of chronic pain. Malfunctioning in other conditions was conceived in parallel. In this respect, "pivot" proteins and pathway redundancy are not just evolutionary leftovers but essential for normal functioning or cell survival. Indeed, at present, TLR4 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and their association with certain dysfunctions and diseases are being confirmed in different pools of patients. However, despite its ability to trigger pathogen infection or alternatively tissue injury communications to immune system, TLR4 targeting might not be considered a panacea. This review article represents a compilation of what we know about TLR4 from clinics and basic research on the 20th anniversary of its discovery. Understanding how to fine-tune the interaction between TLR4 and its specific ligands may lead in the next decades to the development of promising new treatments, reducing polypharmacy and probably having an impact on drug use in numerous pathologies.

Proteomic Analysis of Amniotic Fluid Proteins for Predicting the Outcome of Emergency Cerclage in Women with Cervical Insufficiency

We aimed to identify novel biomarkers in amniotic fluid (AF) that predict the outcome of emergency cerclage in women with cervical insufficiency. This retrospective cohort study included 40 singleton pregnant women who received emergency cerclage for cervical insufficiency (17-25 weeks) and underwent amniocentesis. Label-free liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was used to identify AF proteins in pooled samples (n = 16) using a nested case-control approach. The six candidate biomarkers of interest were validated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) in the final cohort (n = 40). The differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were analyzed by pathway analysis software. The primary outcome measure was failure of emergency cerclage [defined as spontaneous preterm delivery (SPTD) at < 34 weeks of gestation after cerclage placement]. Sixty-eight proteins were differentially expressed (P < 0.001) in AF from SPTD cases and near-term controls, of which 44 (64.7%) were upregulated and 24 (35.3%) were downregulated. Validation by ELISA confirmed that AF from women with cerclage failure contained significantly higher levels of myeloperoxidase, lactoferrin, glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, lipocalin-2, and lymphocyte cytosolic protein 1, the first four of which were independent of cervical dilatation at presentation. The five pathways with the most differentially regulated proteins were actin cytoskeleton signaling, acute phase response signaling, ILK signaling, glycolysis, and gluconeogenesis. Proteomic analyses of AF in this study identified DEPs and specific protein pathways related to poor prognosis after emergency cerclage for cervical insufficiency. Four novel independent biomarkers in AF for cerclage failure have been identified using proteomics.

Urine and serum NMR-based metabolomics in pre-procedural prediction of contrast-induced nephropathy

Contrast induced nephropathy (CIN) has been reported to be the third foremost cause of acute renal failure. Metabolomics is a robust technique that has been used to identify potential biomarkers for the prediction of renal damage. We aim to analyze the serum and urine metabolites changes, before and after using contrast for coronary angiography, to determine if metabolomics can predict early development of CIN. 66 patients undergoing elective coronary angiography were eligible for enrollment. Urine and serum samples were collected prior to administration of CM and 72 h post procedure and analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance. The significant differential metabolites between patients who develop CIN and patients who have stable renal function after angiography were identified using U test and receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed for each metabolite candidate. Potential susceptible pathways to cytotoxic effect of CM were investigated by pathway analysis. A predictive panel composed of six urinary metabolites had the best area under the curve. Glutamic acid, uridine diphosphate, glutamine and tyrosine were the most important serum predictive biomarkers. Several pathways related to amino acid and nicotinamide metabolism were suggested as impaired pathways in CIN prone patients. Changes exist in urine and serum metabolomics patterns in patients who do and do not develop CIN after coronary angiography hence metabolites may be potential predictive identifiers of CIN.

Monocytes of newly diagnosed juvenile DM1 patients are prone to differentiate into regulatory IL-10+ M2 macrophages

Alternatively activated macrophages (M2) exert anti-inflammatory effects and are crucial for keeping balance between protective and destructive cell-mediated immunity in healing phase of inflammation. Two members of the interferon regulatory factors family, IRF5 and IRF4, are known to promote M1 or M2 phenotype, respectively. Our study aimed to analyse the effectiveness of the M2 differentiation process in vitro (achieved by IL-4 stimulation) and its relationship to the stage of type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) in juvenile patients. To identify the basic changes in M2 phenotype, we examined the expression of the surface CD206, CD14, CD86 molecules, intracellular IRF4 and IRF5 transcription factors as well as IL-10 and TNFα intracellular production. Ten newly diagnosed (ND-DM1) and ten long-standing (LS-DM1) patients were enrolled into the study. The control group consisted of six children. We observed a significantly higher number of unpolarised CD206⁺CD14⁺ cells in the M2 cultures of DM1 subjects when compared to healthy ones. Examined cells presented common features with M1 macrophages (high levels of the CD14/CD86/IRF5 markers); however, they were weak TNFα producers in ND-DM1 patients. For the first time, we have revealed dysregulated IRF4/IRF5 axis in the analysed subpopulation derived from diabetic patients. Additionally, monocytes of ND-DM1 children were still able to differentiate into regulatory IL-10⁺ M2 macrophages, while this process was highly limited in LS-DM1 patients. Summarising, we suggest that the M2 polarisation process is less effective in DM1 patients than in healthy subjects and it may vary depending on the stage of disease. It can be concluded that in vitro differentiated M2 macrophages may be used in the future as inflammatory inhibitors for adoptive therapy experiments in ND-DM1 subjects.

Dendritic Cell-Activating Magnetic Nanoparticles Enable Early Prediction of Antitumor Response with Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Cancer vaccines initiate antitumor responses in a subset of patients, but the lack of clinically meaningful biomarkers to predict treatment response limits their development. Here, we design multifunctional RNA-loaded magnetic liposomes to initiate potent antitumor immunity and function as an early biomarker of treatment response. These particles activate dendritic cells (DCs) more effectively than electroporation, leading to superior inhibition of tumor growth in treatment models. Inclusion of iron oxide enhances DC transfection and enables tracking of DC migration with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We show that T₂*-weighted MRI intensity in lymph nodes is a strong correlation of DC trafficking and is an early predictor of antitumor response. In preclinical tumor models, MRI-predicted "responders" identified 2 days after vaccination had significantly smaller tumors 2-5 weeks after treatment and lived 73% longer than MRI-predicted "nonresponders". These studies therefore provide a simple, scalable nanoparticle formulation to generate robust antitumor immune responses and predict individual treatment outcome with MRI.

Cancer immunotherapy with immunoadjuvants, nanoparticles, and checkpoint inhibitors: Recent progress and challenges in treatment and tracking response to immunotherapy

Chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation are accepted as the preferred treatment modalities against cancer, but in recent years the use of immunotherapeutic approaches has gained prominence as the fourth treatment modality in cancer patients. In this approach, a patient's innate and adaptive immune systems are activated to achieve clearance of occult cancerous cells. In this review, we discuss the preclinical and clinical immunotherapeutic (e.g., immunoadjuvants (in-situ vaccines, oncolytic viruses, CXC antagonists, device activated agents), organic and inorganic nanoparticles, and checkpoint blockade) that are under investigation for cancer therapy and diagnostics. Additionally, the innovations in imaging of immune cells for tracking therapeutic responses and limitations (e.g., toxicity, inefficient immunomodulation, etc.) are described. Existing data suggest that if immune therapy is optimized, it can be a real and potentially paradigm-shifting cancer treatment frontier.

Nanotechnology platforms for cancer immunotherapy

Various cancer therapies have advanced remarkably over the past decade. Unlike the direct therapeutic targeting of tumor cells, cancer immunotherapy is a new strategy that boosts the host's immune system to detect specific cancer cells for efficient elimination. Nanoparticles incorporating immunomodulatory agents can activate immune cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment to enhance antitumor immunity. Such nanoparticle-based cancer immunotherapies have received considerable attention and have been extensively studied in recent years. This review thus focuses on nanoparticle-based platforms (especially naturally derived nanoparticles and synthetic nanoparticles) utilized in recent advances; summarizes delivery systems that incorporate various immune-modulating agents, including peptides and nucleic acids, immune checkpoint inhibitors, and other small immunostimulating agents; and introduces combinational cancer immunotherapy with nanoparticles, especially nanoparticle-based photo-immunotherapy and nanoparticle-based chemo-immunotherapy. Undoubtedly, the recent studies introduced in this review prove that nanoparticle-incorporated cancer immunotherapy is a highly promising treatment modality for patients with cancer. Nonetheless further research is needed to solve safety concerns and improve efficacy of nanoplatform-based cancer immunotherapy for future clinical application. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Self-assembled nanoparticles of reduction-sensitive poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid)-conjugated chondroitin sulfate A for doxorubicin delivery: preparation, characterization and evaluation

In this study, reduction-sensitive self-assembled polymer nanoparticles based on poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) and chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) were developed and characterized. PLGA was conjugated with CSA via a disulfide linkage (PLGA-ss-CSA). The critical micelle concentration (CMC) of PLGA-ss-CSA conjugate is 3.5 µg/mL. The anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) was chosen as a model drug, and was effectively encapsulated into the nanoparticles (PLGA-ss-CSA/DOX) with high loading efficiency of 15.1%. The cumulative release of DOX from reduction-sensitive nanoparticles was only 34.8% over 96 h in phosphate buffered saline (PBS, pH 7.4). However, in the presence of 20 mM glutathione-containing PBS environment, DOX release was notably accelerated and almost complete from the reduction-sensitive nanoparticles up to 96 h. Moreover, efficient intracellular DOX release of PLGA-ss-CSA/DOX nanoparticles was confirmed by CLSM assay in A549 cells. In vitro cytotoxicity study showed that the half inhibitory concentrations of PLGA-ss-CSA/DOX nanoparticles and free DOX against A549 cells were 1.141 and 1.825 µg/mL, respectively. Therefore, PLGA-ss-CSA/DOX nanoparticles enhanced the cytotoxicity of DOX in vitro. These results suggested that PLGA-ss-CSA nanoparticles could be a promising carrier for drug delivery.

Corroboration and efficacy of Magneto-Fluorescent (NiZnFe/CdS) Nanostructures Prepared using Differently Processed Core

The selected and controlled preparation of core@shell nanostructures, which unite the multiple functions of ferromagnetic Ni-Zn ferrite core and CdS shell in a single material with tuneable fluorescence and magnetic properties, have been proposed by the seed mediated aqueous growth process. The shell particle thickness and core of nanostructures were precisely tuned. Current work exhibits the comparative study of core@shell multifunctional nanostructures where core being annealed at two different temperatures. The core@shell nanostructure formation was confirmed by complementary structural, elemental, optical, magnetic and IR measurements. Optical and magnetic characterizations were performed to study elaborative effects of different structural combinations of core@shell nanostructures to achieve best configuration with high-luminescence and magnetic outcomes. The interface of magnetic/nonmagnetic NiZnFe₂O₄/CdS nanostructures was inspected. Unexpectedly, in some of the core@shell nanostructures presence of substantial exchange-bias was observed in spite of the non-magnetic nature of CdS QDs which is clearly an “optically-active” and “magnetically-inactive” material. Presence of “exchange-bias” was confirmed by the change in “magnetic-anisotropy” as well as shift in susceptibility derivative. Finally, successful formulation of stable and efficient core@shell nanostructures achieved, which shows no exchange-bias and shift. Current findings suggest that these magneto-fluorescent nanostructures can be used in spintronics; and drug delivery-diagnosis-imaging applications in nanomedicine field.

Engineering Nanoparticles to Reprogram the Tumor Immune Microenvironment for Improved Cancer Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is rapidly maturing towards extensive clinical use. However, it does not work well in large patient populations because of an immunosuppressed microenvironment and limited reinvigoration of antitumor immunity. The tumor microenvironment is a complex milieu in which the principles of physiology and anatomy are defied and which is considered an immune-privileged site promoting T cell exhaustion. Tremendous research interest exists in developing nanoparticle-based approaches to modulate antitumor immune responses. The increasing use of immunotherapies in the clinic requires robust programming of immune cells to boost antitumor immunity. This review summarizes recent advances in the engineering of nanoparticles for improved anticancer immunotherapy. It discusses emerging nanoparticle-based approaches for the modulation of tumor cells and immune cells, such as dendritic cells, T cells and tumor-associated macrophages, with the intention to overcome challenges currently faced in the clinic. Furthermore, this review describes potentially curative combination therapeutic approaches to provoke effective tumor antigen-specific immune responses. We foresee a future in which improvement in patient's surveillance will become a mainstream practice.

The yin and yang of imaging tumor associated macrophages with PET and MRI

Tumor associated macrophages (TAM) are key players in the cancer microenvironment. Molecular imaging modalities such as MRI and PET can be used to track and monitor TAM dynamics in tumors non-invasively, based on specific uptake and quantification of MRI-detectable nanoparticles or PET-detectable radiotracers. Particular molecular signatures can be leveraged to target anti-inflammatory TAM, which support tumor growth, and pro-inflammatory TAM, which suppress tumor growth. In addition, TAM-directed imaging probes can be designed to include immune modulating properties, thereby leading to combined diagnostic and therapeutic (theranostic) effects. In this review, we will discuss the complementary role of TAM-directed radiotracers and iron oxide nanoparticles for monitoring cancer immunotherapies with PET and MRI technologies. In addition, we will outline how TAM-directed imaging and therapy is interdependent and can be connected towards improved clinical outcomes

The application of nanotechnology in enhancing immunotherapy for cancer treatment: current effects and perspective

Cancer immunotherapy is emerging as a promising treatment modality that suppresses and eliminates tumors by re-activating and maintaining the tumor-immune cycle, and further enhancing the body's anti-tumor immune response. Despite the impressive therapeutic potential of immunotherapy approaches such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and tumor vaccines in pre-clinical and clinical applications, the effective response is limited by insufficient accumulation in tumor tissues and severe side-effects. Recent years have witnessed the rise of nanotechnology as a solution to improve these technical weaknesses due to its inherent biophysical properties and multifunctional modifying potential. In this review, we summarized and discussed the current status of nanoparticle-enhanced cancer immunotherapy strategies, including intensified delivery of tumor vaccines and immune adjuvants, immune checkpoint inhibitor vehicles, targeting capacity to tumor-draining lymph nodes and immune cells, triggered releasing and regulating specific tumor microenvironments, and adoptive cell therapy enhancement effects.

Inhibition of the cluster of differentiation 14 innate immunity pathway with IAXO-101 improves chronic microelectrode performance

OBJECTIVE

Neuroinflammatory mechanisms are hypothesized to contribute to intracortical microelectrode failures. The cluster of differentiation 14 (CD14) molecule is an innate immunity receptor involved in the recognition of pathogens and tissue damage to promote inflammation. The goal of the study was to investigate the effect of CD14 inhibition on intracortical microelectrode recording performance and tissue integration.

APPROACH

Mice implanted with intracortical microelectrodes in the motor cortex underwent electrophysiological characterization for 16 weeks, followed by endpoint histology. Three conditions were examined: (1) wildtype control mice, (2) knockout mice lacking CD14, and (3) wildtype control mice administered a small molecule inhibitor to CD14 called IAXO-101.

MAIN RESULTS

The CD14 knockout mice exhibited acute but not chronic improvements in intracortical microelectrode performance without significant differences in endpoint histology. Mice receiving IAXO-101 exhibited significant improvements in recording performance over the entire 16 week duration without significant differences in endpoint histology.

SIGNIFICANCE

Full removal of CD14 is beneficial at acute time ranges, but limited CD14 signaling is beneficial at chronic time ranges. Innate immunity receptor inhibition strategies have the potential to improve long-term intracortical microelectrode performance.

A review on ZnO nanostructured materials: energy, environmental and biological applications

Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an adaptable material that has distinctive properties, such as high-sensitivity, large specific area, non-toxicity, good compatibility and a high isoelectric point, which favours it to be considered with a few exceptions. It is the most desirable group of nanostructure as far as both structure and properties. The unique and tuneable properties of nanostructured ZnO shows excellent stability in chemically as well as thermally stable n-type semiconducting material with wide applications such as in luminescent material, supercapacitors, battery, solar cells, photocatalysis, biosensors, biomedical and biological applications in the form of bulk crystal, thin film and pellets. The nanosized materials exhibit higher dissolution rates as well as higher solubility when compared to the bulk materials. This review significantly focused on the current improvement in ZnO-based nanomaterials/composites/doped materials for the application in the field of energy storage and conversion devices and biological applications. Special deliberation has been paid on supercapacitors, Li-ion batteries, dye-sensitized solar cells, photocatalysis, biosensors, biomedical and biological applications. Finally, the benefits of ZnO-based materials for the utilizations in the field of energy and biological sciences are moreover consistently analysed.

Application of ZnO-Based Nanocomposites for Vaccines and Cancer Immunotherapy

Engineering and application of nanomaterials have recently helped advance various biomedical fields. Zinc oxide (ZnO)-based nanocomposites have become one of the most promising candidates for biomedical applications due to their biocompatibility, unique physicochemical properties, and cost-effective mass production. In addition, recent advances in nano-engineering technologies enable the generation of ZnO nanocomposites with unique three-dimensional structures and surface characteristics that are optimally designed for in vivo applications. Here, we review recent advances in the application of diverse ZnO nanocomposites, with an especial focus on their development as vaccine adjuvant and cancer immunotherapeutics, as well as their intrinsic properties interacting with the immune system and potential toxic effect in vivo. Finally, we summarize promising proof-of-concept applications as prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines against infections and cancers. Understanding the nano-bio interfaces between ZnO-based nanocomposites and the immune system, together with bio-effective design of the nanomaterial using nano-architectonic technology, may open new avenues in expanding the biomedical application of ZnO nanocomposites as a novel vaccine platform.

Tailored Black Phosphorus for Erythrocyte Membrane Nanocloaking with Interleukin-1α siRNA and Paclitaxel for Targeted, Durable, and Mild Combination Cancer Therapy

Several therapeutic nanosystems have been engineered to remedy the shortcomings of cancer monotherapies, including immunotherapy (stimulating the host immune system to eradicate cancer), to improve therapeutic efficacy with minimizing off-target effects and tumor-induced immunosuppression. Light-activated components in nanosystems confer additional phototherapeutic effects as combinatorial modalities; however, systemic and thermal toxicities with unfavorable accumulation and excretion of nanoystem components now hamper their practical applications. Thus, there remains a need for optimal multifunctional nanosystems to enhance targeted, durable, and mild combination therapies for efficient cancer treatment without notable side effects.

Methods: A nanosystem constructed with a base core (poly-L-histidine [H]-grafted black phosphorus [BP]) and a shell (erythrocyte membrane [EM]) is developed to offer a mild photoresponsive (near-infrared) activity with erythrocyte mimicry. In-flight electrostatic tailoring to extract uniform BP nanoparticles maintains a hydrodynamic size of <200 nm (enabling enhanced permeability and retention) after EM cloaking and enhances their biocompatibility.

Results: Ephrin-A2 receptor-specific peptide (YSA, targeting cancer cells), interleukin-1α silencing small interfering RNA (ILsi, restricting regulatory T cell trafficking), and paclitaxel (X, inducing durable chemotherapeutics) are incorporated within the base core@shell constructs to create BP-H-ILsi-X@EM-YSA architectures, which provide a more intelligent nanosystem for combination cancer therapies.

Conclusion: The in-flight tailoring of BP particles provides a promising base core for fabricating <200 nm EM-mimicking multifunctional nanosystems, which could be beneficial for constructing smarter nanoarchitectures to use in combination cancer therapies.

Engineered nano-immunopotentiators efficiently promote cancer immunotherapy for inhibiting and preventing lung metastasis of melanoma

Malignant melanoma, one of the most aggressive types of cancer easily metastasizes, making it extremely difficult to treat and unresponsive to current therapies. Recent breakthroughs in nanomaterials-based cancer immunotherapy have provided potential specific strategy for tumor and metastasis inhibition. With the development of nanotechnology, inorganic nanomaterials have been increasingly studied for their potential cancer therapeutic and molecular imaging functions. However, only iron-based nanomaterials have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in inorganic nanomedicines. For promising clinical application, a new type of nanocomposite is engineered by combining ultra-small iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄ NPs) and ovalbumin (OVA), denoted as Fe₃O₄-OVA nanocomposites in this study. Interestingly, this is the first time that Fe₃O₄ NPs are found as nano-immunopotentiators helping nanocomposites efficiently stimulate dendritic cell-based immunotherapy and potentially-activate macrophages. These nanocomposites efficiently stimulate the maturation level of bone marrow derived dendritic cell (BMDCs) and corresponding activation of T cells and also potentially-activate macrophages. With the help of the Fe₃O₄ nano-immunopotentiators (Fe₃O₄ NPs), this therapeutic and prophylactic Fe₃O₄-OVA vaccine can not only efficiently inhibit the subcutaneous and metastatic B16-OVA tumor growth but also successfully prevent the formation of subcutaneous and metastatic tumor, providing a promising strategy for expanding the clinical use of Fe-based nanomaterials.

Ozone-induced changes in the serum metabolome: Role of the microbiome

Ozone is an asthma trigger. In mice, the gut microbiome contributes to ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness, a defining feature of asthma, but the mechanistic basis for the role of the gut microbiome has not been established. Gut bacteria can affect the function of distal organs by generating metabolites that enter the blood and circulate systemically. We hypothesized that global metabolomic profiling of serum collected from ozone exposed mice could be used to identify metabolites contributing to the role of the microbiome in ozone-induced airway hyperresponsiveness. Mice were treated for two weeks with a cocktail of antibiotics (ampicillin, neomycin, metronidazole, and vancomycin) in the drinking water or with control water and then exposed to air or ozone (2 ppm for 3 hours). Twenty four hours later, blood was harvested and serum analyzed via liquid-chromatography or gas-chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Antibiotic treatment significantly affected 228 of the 562 biochemicals identified, including reductions in the known bacterially-derived metabolites, equol, indole propionate, 3-indoxyl sulfate, and 3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate, confirming the efficacy of the antibiotic treatment. Ozone exposure caused significant changes in 334 metabolites. Importantly, ozone-induced changes in many of these metabolites were different in control and antibiotic-treated mice. For example, most medium and long chain fatty acids declined by 20-50% with ozone exposure in antibiotic-treated but not control mice. Most taurine-conjugated bile acids increased with ozone exposure in antibiotic-treated but not control mice. Ozone also caused marked (9-fold and 5-fold) increases in the polyamines, spermine and spermidine, respectively, in control but not antibiotic-treated mice. Each of these metabolites has the capacity to alter airway responsiveness and may account for the role of the microbiome in pulmonary responses to ozone.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma Growth Retardation and PD-1 Blockade Therapy Potentiation with Synthetic High-density Lipoprotein

The long progression-free survival (PFS) of patients with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumors is an unmet clinical need. Imaging-guided in situ ablation and vaccination with nanoplatforms could be a promising way to achieve durable disease control and long PFS. In the present work, we show that a biomimetic nanoplatform, namely, synthetic high-density lipoprotein (sHDL), can transport photothermal agent DiR and other drugs preferentially into the cytosol of HCC cells, enabling imaging-guided combination therapy for HCC in vivo. With a single injection, the sHDLs reduced the tumor burden, triggered immunogenic cell death (ICD), promoted dendritic cell (DC) maturation, and induced CD8⁺ T cell responses, which together sensitized the tumors to PD-1 blockade. Tumor remission and immune protection were achieved using sHDL loaded with DiR and a stimulator of interferon genes agonist vadimezan, in conjunction with a PD-1 blockade. The replacement of vadimezan with the chemotherapeutic mertansine potentiated ICD of HCC cells, but the drug interfered with DC maturation and subsequent CD8⁺ T cell priming, resulting in unsatisfactory disease control. Our work provides a generalizable nanoplatform for the combined photothermal ablation and immunotherapy of HCC and highlights the importance of cancer-cell-specific ICD induction and simultaneous DC activation during in situ vaccination.

Membrane-encapsulated camouflaged nanomedicines in drug delivery

Owing to the limitations of conventional therapies, there has been an increasing need for nanomedicines for real-time diagnosis and effective treatment of life-threatening diseases. Despite the conceptual and technological success achieved by researchers worldwide, the complexities of biological systems, efficient engineering and formulation of monodispersed nanomedicines, inadequate information on bio–nano interactions, issues on health hazards, clinical trials and commercialization have set new challenges in biomedical research. This review highlights how the biological membrane improves the performance of nanomedicines in drug delivery. With the list of nanomedicines getting longer gradually to overcome the drawbacks of conventional therapeutics, it is important to concentrate on the interactions between nanostructures and living systems in order to improve the biocompatibility and therapeutic efficacy of functional nanomedicines.