A holistic approach to targeting disease with polymeric nanoparticles

Smart nanosystems: Bio-inspired technologies that interact with the host environment

Nanoparticle technologies intended for human administration must be designed to interact with, and ideally leverage, a living host environment. Here, we describe smart nanosystems classified in two categories: (i) those that sense the host environment and respond and (ii) those that first prime the host environment to interact with engineered nanoparticles. Smart nanosystems have the potential to produce personalized diagnostic and therapeutic schema by using the local environment to drive material behavior and ultimately improve human health.

A comprehensive study of interactions between lectins and glycoproteins for the development of effective theranostic nanoagents

A comprehensive study of the interactions between lectins and glycoproteins possessing different glycosylation profiles in the composition of nanoparticles was carried out in order to find specifically interacting protein pairs for the creation of novel classes of multifunctional nanoagets that based on protein-assisted selfassembly. We obtained information about specific interactions of certain lectins with selected glycoproteins as well as about the ability of certain monosaccharides to competitively inhibit binding of glycoproteins with lectins. These protein-mediated interactions may be involved in the formulation of self-assembled nanoparticles for therapy and diagnostics of various diseases.

Nanomedicine delivery: does protein corona route to the target or off road?

Nanomedicine aims to find novel solutions for urgent biomedical needs. Despite this, one of the most challenging hurdles that nanomedicine faces is to successfully target therapeutic nanoparticles to cells of interest in vivo. As for any biomaterials, once in vivo, nanoparticles can interact with plasma biomolecules, forming new entities for which the name protein coronas (PCs) have been coined. The PC can influence the in vivo biological fate of a nanoparticle. Thus for guaranteeing the desired function of an engineered nanomaterial in vivo, it is crucial to dissect its PC in terms of formation and evolution within the body. In this contribution we will review the 'good' and 'bad' sides of the PC, starting from the scientific aspects to the technological applications.

Lung cancer nanomedicine: potentials and pitfalls

Lung cancer is by far the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. Nanoparticle-based therapies enable targeted drug delivery for lung cancer treatment with increased therapeutic efficiency and reduced systemic toxicity. At the same time, nanomedicine has the potential for multimodal treatment of lung cancer that may involve 'all-in-one' targeting of several tumor-associated cell types in a timely and spatially controlled manner. Therapeutic approaches, however, are hampered by a translational gap between basic scientists, clinicians and pharma industry due to suboptimal animal models and difficulties in scale-up production of nanoagents. This calls for a disease-centered approach with interdisciplinary basic and clinical research teams with the support of pharma industries.

Host-Guest Interaction-Based Self-Engineering of Nano-Sized Vesicles for Co-Delivery of Genes and Anticancer Drugs

On the basis of host-guest interactions, this study reported a kind of linear-hyperbranched supramolecular amphiphile and its assembled vesicles for the combined achievement of drug encapsulation and DNA delivery. Amine-attached β-cyclodextrin-centered hyperbranched polyglycerol and linear adamantane-terminated octadecane were arranged to spontaneously interlink together and then self-assemble into nanoscale vesicles. As the model of a hydrophilic agent, DOX·HCl was demonstrated to be readily loaded into the hollow cavity of the vesicles. The drug release pattern could be controlled by adjusting the environmental acidity, favoring the intracellularly fast drug liberation in response to the cellular lysosomal microenvironment. The nanovesicles displayed superior serum-tolerant transgene ability and significantly lower cytotoxicity compared to those of PEI25K, the gold standard of gene delivery vectors. The drug-loaded nanovesicle can co-deliver DNA payloads into cells and allow the preferable accumulation of two payloads in nuclei. The drug encapsulation was found to have little influence on the transfection. This co-delivery vehicle presents a good example of rational design of cationic supramolecular vesicles for stimulus-responsive drug/DNA transport.

Engineering Melanin Nanoparticles as an Efficient Drug-Delivery System for Imaging-Guided Chemotherapy

In order to promote imaging-guided chemotherapy for preclinical and clinical applications, endogenous nanosystems with both contrast and drug-delivery properties are highly desired. Here, the simple use of melanin is first reported, and this biopolymer with good biocompatibility and biodegradability, binding ability to drugs and ions, and intrinsic photoacoustic properties, can serve as an efficient endogenous nanosystem for imaging-guided tumor chemotherapy in living mice.

Chimeric Nanoparticle: A Platform for Simultaneous Targeting of Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase Signaling and Damaging DNA in Cancer Cells

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) signaling has been hijacked in different types of cancers. Hence, PI3K inhibitors have emerged as novel targeted therapeutics in cancer treatment as mono and combination therapy along with other DNA damaging drugs. However, targeting PI3K signaling with small molecules leads to the emergence of drug resistance and severe side effects to the cancer patients. To address these, we have developed a biocompatible, biodegradable cholesterol-based chimeric nanoparticle (CNP), which can simultaneously load PI103, doxorubicin, and cisplatin in a controlled ratiometric manner. Size, shape, and morphology of these CNPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Increased amounts of PI103, doxorubicin, and cisplatin were released from CNPs through controlled and continuous manner over 120 h at pH = 5.5 compared to neutral pH. The CNPs showed much enhanced in vitro cytotoxicity in HeLa, HL60, MCF7, and MDA-MB-231 cancer cells compared to a free drug cocktail at 24 and 48 h by inducing apoptosis. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) imaging revealed that indeed these CNPs were internalized into subcellular lysosomes through endocytosis in a time dependent mode over 6 h and retained inside for 48 h in HeLa, MDA-MB-231, and MCF7 cells. These CNPs showed their efficacy by damaging DNA and inhibiting Akt as a downstream modulator of PI3K signaling in HeLa cervical cancer cells. These CNPs have the potential to open up new directions in next-generation nanomedicine by simultaneous targeting of multiple oncogenic signaling pathways and inducing DNA damage for augmented therapeutic outcome by reducing toxic side effects and overcoming drug resistance.

Nanomaterials, Autophagy, and Lupus Disease

Nanoscale materials hold great promise in the therapeutic field. In particular, as carriers or vectors, they help bioactive molecules reach their primary targets. Furthermore, by themselves, certain nanomaterials-regarded as protective-can modulate particular metabolic pathways that are deregulated in pathological situations. They can also synergistically improve the effects of a payload drug. These properties are the basis of their appeal. However, nanoscale materials can also have intrinsic properties that limit their use, and this is the case for certain types of nanomaterials that influence autophagy. This property can be beneficial in some pathological settings, but in others, if the autophagic flux is already accelerated, it can be deleterious. This is notably the case for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and other chronic inflammatory diseases, including certain neurological diseases. The nanomaterial-autophagy interaction therefore must be treated with caution for therapeutic molecules and peptides that require vectorization for their administration.

Three-dimensional localization of polymer nanoparticles in cells using ToF-SIMS

Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) three-dimensional (3D) depth profiling and a novel background subtraction method were used to localize polymeric nanoparticles within cells. Results showed that ToF-SIMS 3D depth profiling is capable of localizing polymer nanoparticles within HeLa cells. ToF-SIMS results compared well with optical images of cells incubated with fluorescently labeled polymer nanoparticles, with both imaging techniques demonstrating clustering of nanoparticles in punctate regions consistent with endosomal localization as anticipated based on the nanoparticle design.

Nanotherapy for Cancer: Targeting and Multifunctionality in the Future of Cancer Therapies

Cancer continues to be a prevalent and lethal disease, despite advances in tumor biology research and chemotherapy development. Major obstacles in cancer treatment arise from tumor heterogeneity, drug resistance, and systemic toxicities. Nanoscale delivery systems, or nanotherapies, are increasing in importance as vehicles for antineoplastic agents because of their potential for targeting and multifunctionality. We discuss the current field of cancer therapy and potential strategies for addressing obstacles in cancer treatment with nanotherapies. Specifically, we review the strategies for rationally designing nanoparticles for targeted, multimodal delivery of therapeutic agents.

Self-targeted, bacillus-shaped, and controlled-release methotrexate prodrug polymeric nanoparticles for intratumoral administration with improved therapeutic efficacy in tumor-bearing mice

Self-targeted, bacillus-shaped, and controlled-release methotrexate prodrug polymeric nanoparticles for highly efficient cancer chemotherapy: more elongated is better.

Systemic delivery of blood-brain barrier-targeted polymeric nanoparticles enhances delivery to brain tissue

Delivery of therapeutic agents to the central nervous system is a significant challenge, hindering progress in the treatment of diseases such as glioblastoma. Due to the presence of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), therapeutic agents do not readily transverse the brain endothelium to enter the parenchyma. Previous reports suggest that surface modification of polymer nanoparticles (NPs) can improve their ability to cross the BBB, but it is unclear whether the observed enhancements in transport are large enough to enhance therapy. In this study, we synthesized two degradable polymer NP systems surface-modified with ligands previously suggested to improve BBB transport, and tested their ability to cross the BBB after intravenous injection in mice. All the NP preparations were able to cross the BBB, although generally in low amounts (<0.5% of the injected dose), which was consistent with prior reports. One NP produced significantly higher brain uptake (∼0.8% of the injected dose): a block copolymer of polylactic acid and hyperbranched polyglycerol, surface modified with adenosine (PLA-HPG-Ad). PLA-HPG-Ad NPs provided controlled release of camptothecin, killing U87 glioma cells in culture. When administered intravenously in mice with intracranial U87 tumors, they failed to increase survival. These results suggest that enhancing NP transport across the BBB does not necessarily yield proportional pharmacological effects.