Selective Cell Penetrating Peptide-Functionalized Polymersomes Mediate Efficient and Targeted Delivery of Methotrexate Disodium to Human Lung Cancer In Vivo

Advances in peptide-based drug delivery systems

Drug delivery systems (DDSs) are designed to deliver drugs to their specific targets to minimize their toxic effects and improve their susceptibility to clearance during targeted transport. Peptides have high affinity, low immunogenicity, simple amino acid composition, and adjustable molecular size; therefore, most peptides can be coupled to drugs via linkers to form peptide-drug conjugates (PDCs) and act as active pro-drugs. PDCs are widely thought to be promising DDSs, given their ability to improve drug bio-compatibility and physiological stability. Peptide-based DDSs are often used to deliver therapeutic substances such as anti-cancer drugs and nucleic acid-based drugs, which not only slow the degradation rate of drugs in vivo but also ensure the drug concentration at the targeted site and prolong the half-life of drugs in vivo. This article provides an profile of the advancements and future development in functional peptide-based DDSs both domestically and internationally in recent years, in the expectation of achieving targeted drug delivery incorporating functional peptides and taking full advantage of synergistic effects.

Supramolecular Nanostructures for the Delivery of Peptides in Cancer Therapy

Supramolecular nanostructured based delivery systems are emerging as a meaningful approach in the treatment of cancer, offering controlled drug release and improved therapeutic efficacy. The self-assembled structures can be small molecules, polymers, peptides, or proteins, which can be used and functionalized to achieve tailored release and target specific cells, tissues, or organs. These structures can improve the solubility and stability of drugs having low aqueous solubility by encapsulating and protecting them from degradation. Alongside, peptides as natural biomolecules have gained increasing attention as potential candidates in cancer treatment because of their biocompatibility, low cytotoxicity, and high specificity toward tumor cells. The amino acid sequences in peptide molecules are tunable, efficiently controlling the morphology of peptide-based self-assembled nanosystems and offering flexibility to form supramolecular nanostructures (SNs). It is evident from the current literature that the supramolecular nanostructures based delivery of peptide for cancer treatment hold great promise for future cancer therapy, offering potential strategies for personalized medicine with improved patient outcomes. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT: This review focuses on fundamentals and various drug delivery mechanisms based on SNs. Different SN approaches and recent literature reviews on peptide delivery are also presented to the readers.

Cell-Penetrating Peptides: A Powerful Tool for Targeted Drug Delivery

The cellular membrane hinders the effective delivery of therapeutics to targeted sites. Cellpenetrating peptide (CPP) is one of the best options for rapidly internalizing across the cellular membrane. CPPs have recently attracted lots of attention because of their excellent transduction efficiency and low cytotoxicity. The CPP-cargo complex is an effective and efficient method of delivering several chemotherapeutic agents used to treat various diseases. Additionally, CPP has become another strategy to overcome some of the current therapeutic agents' limitations. However, no CPP complex is approved by the US FDA because of its limitations and issues. In this review, we mainly discuss the cellpenetrating peptide as the delivery vehicle, the cellular uptake mechanism of CPPs, their design, and some strategies to synthesize the CPP complex via some linkers such as disulfide bond, oxime, etc. Here, we also discuss the recent status of CPPs in the market.

Design strategy and research progress of multifunctional nanoparticles in lung cancer therapy

INTRODUCTION

Lung cancer is one of the cancer types with the highest mortality rate, exploring a more effective treatment modality that improves therapeutic efficacy while mitigating side effects is now an urgent requirement. Designing multifunctional nanoparticles can be used to overcome the limitations of drugs and conventional drug delivery systems. Nanotechnology has been widely researched, and through different needs, suitable nanocarriers can be selected to load anti-cancer drugs to improve the therapeutic effect. It is foreseeable that with the rapid development of nanotechnology, more and more lung cancer patients will benefit from nanotechnology. This paper reviews the merits of various multifunctional nanoparticles in the treatment of lung cancer to provide novel ideas for lung cancer treatment.

AREAS COVERED

This review focuses on summarizing various nanoparticles for targeted lung cancer therapy and their advantages and disadvantages, using nanoparticles loaded with anti-cancer drugs, delivered to lung cancer sites, enhancing drug half-life, improving anti-cancer drug efficacy and reducing side effects.

EXPERT OPINION

The delivery mode of nanoparticles with superior pharmacokinetic properties in the in vivo circulation enhances the half-life of the drug, and provides tissue-targeted selectivity and the ability to overcome biological barriers, bringing a revolution in the field of oncology.

Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) as Therapeutic and Diagnostic Agents for Cancer

Cell-Penetrating Peptides (CPPs) are short peptides consisting of <30 amino acids. Their ability to translocate through the cell membrane while carrying large cargo biomolecules has been the topic of pre-clinical and clinical trials. The ability to deliver cargo complexes through membranes yields potential for therapeutics and diagnostics for diseases such as cancer. Upon cellular entry, some CPPs have the ability to target specific organelles. CPP-based intracellular targeting strategies hold tremendous potential as they can improve efficacy and reduce toxicities and side effects. Further, recent clinical trials show a significant potential for future CPP-based cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in CPPs based on systematic searches in PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases until 30 September 2022. We highlight targeted delivery and explore the potential uses for CPPs as diagnostics, drug delivery, and intrinsic anti-cancer agents.

A comprehensive review on methotrexate containing nanoparticles; an appropriate tool for cancer treatment

For more than seven decades, methotrexate has been used all over the world for treatment of different diseases such as: cancer, autoimmune diseases, and rheumatoid arthritis. Several studies have addressed its formula, efficacy, and delivery methods in recent years. These studies have been focused on the effectiveness of different nanoparticles on drug delivery, delivery of the drug to the target cells, and attenuation of harm to the host cell. Whereas, the main usages of methotrexate are in cancer treatment field, this review provided a brief perspective into using different nanoparticles and their role in the treatment of different cancers.

The role of cell-penetrating peptides in potential anti-cancer therapy

Due to the complex physiological structure, microenvironment and multiple physiological barriers, traditional anti-cancer drugs are severely restricted from reaching the tumour site. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs) are typically made up of 5-30 amino acids, and can be utilised as molecular transporters to facilitate the passage of therapeutic drugs across physiological barriers. Up to now, CPPs have widely been used in many anti-cancer treatment strategies, serving as an excellent potential choice for oncology treatment. However, their drawbacks, such as the lack of cell specificity, short duration of action, poor stability in vivo, compatibility problems (i.e. immunogenicity), poor therapeutic efficacy and formation of unwanted metabolites, have limited their further application in cancer treatment. The cellular uptake mechanisms of CPPs involve mainly endocytosis and direct penetration, but still remain highly controversial in academia. The CPPs-based drug delivery strategy could be improved by clever design or chemical modifications to develop the next-generation CPPs with enhanced cell penetration capability, stability and selectivity. In addition, some recent advances in targeted cell penetration that involve CPPs provide some new ideas to optimise CPPs.

Peptide-based delivery of therapeutics in cancer treatment

Current delivery strategies for cancer therapeutics commonly cause significant systemic side effects due to required high doses of therapeutic, inefficient cellular uptake of drug, and poor cell selectivity. Peptide-based delivery systems have shown the ability to alleviate these issues and can significantly enhance therapeutic loading, delivery, and cancer targetability. Peptide systems can be tailor-made for specific cancer applications. This review describes three peptide classes, targeting, cell penetrating, and fusogenic peptides, as stand-alone nanoparticle systems, conjugations to nanoparticle systems, or as the therapeutic modality. Peptide nanoparticle design, characteristics, and applications are discussed as well as peptide applications in the clinical space.

Cell-penetrating peptides in protein mimicry and cancer therapeutics

Extensive research has been undertaken in the pursuit of anticancer therapeutics. Many anticancer drugs require specificity of delivery to cancer cells, whilst sparing healthy tissue. Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), now well established as facilitators of intracellular delivery, have in recent years advanced to incorporate target specificity and thus possess great potential for the targeted delivery of anticancer cargoes. Though none have yet been approved for clinical use, this novel technology has already entered clinical trials. In this review we present CPPs, discuss their classification, mechanisms of cargo internalization and highlight strategies for conjugation to anticancer moieties including their incorporation into therapeutic proteins. As the mainstay of this review, strategies to build specificity into tumor targeting CPP constructs through exploitation of the tumor microenvironment and the use of tumor homing peptides are discussed, whilst acknowledging the extensive contribution made by CPP constructs to target specific protein-protein interactions integral to intracellular signaling pathways associated with tumor cell survival and progression. Finally, antibody/antigen CPP conjugates and their potential roles in cancer immunotherapy and diagnostics are considered. In summary, this review aims to harness the potential of CPP-aided drug delivery for future cancer therapies and diagnostics whilst highlighting some of the most recent achievements in selective delivery of anticancer drugs, including cytostatic drugs, to a range of tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo.

Delivery of Various Cargos into Cancer Cells and Tissues via Cell-Penetrating Peptides: A Review of the Last Decade

Cell-penetrating peptides (CPPs), also known as protein transduction domains, are a class of diverse amino acid sequences with the ability to cross cellular membranes. CPPs can deliver several bioactive cargos, including proteins, peptides, nucleic acids and chemotherapeutics, into cells. Ever since their discovery, synthetic and natural CPPs have been utilized in therapeutics delivery, gene editing and cell imaging in fundamental research and clinical experiments. Over the years, CPPs have gained significant attention due to their low cytotoxicity and high transduction efficacy. In the last decade, multiple investigations demonstrated the potential of CPPs as carriers for the delivery of therapeutics to treat various types of cancer. Besides their remarkable efficacy owing to fast and efficient delivery, a crucial benefit of CPP-based cancer treatments is delivering anticancer agents selectively, rather than mediating toxicities toward normal tissues. To obtain a higher therapeutic index and to improve cell and tissue selectivity, CPP-cargo constructions can also be complexed with other agents such as nanocarriers and liposomes to obtain encouraging outcomes. This review summarizes various types of CPPs conjugated to anticancer cargos. Furthermore, we present a brief history of CPP utilization as delivery systems for anticancer agents in the last decade and evaluate several reports on the applications of CPPs in basic research and preclinical studies.

Quantitative Chemical Proteomics Reveals Resveratrol Inhibition of A549 Cell Migration Through Binding Multiple Targets to Regulate Cytoskeletal Remodeling and Suppress EMT

Resveratrol (RSV), a health-promoting natural product, has been shown to affect various cellular processes in tumor cells. However, the specific protein targets of RSV and the mechanism of action (MOA) of its anticancer effect remain elusive. In this study, the pharmacological activity of RSV was first evaluated in A549 cells, and the results showed that RSV significantly inhibited A549 cell migration but did not affect cell viability. To elucidate the underlying mechanism, a quantitative chemical proteomics approach was employed to identify the protein targets of RSV. A total of 38 target proteins were identified, and proteomic analysis showed that the targets were mainly involved in cytoskeletal remodeling and EMT, which were verified by subsequent in vitro and in vivo assays. In conclusion, RSV inhibits A549 cell migration by binding to multiple targets to regulate cytoskeletal remodeling and suppress EMT.

Peptide-Modified Biopolymers for Biomedical Applications

Polymeric biomaterials have been used in a variety of applications, like cargo delivery and tissue scaffolding, because they are easily synthesized and can be adapted to many systems. However, there is still a need to further enhance and improve their functions to progress their use in the biomedical field. A promising solution is to modify the polymer surfaces with peptides that can increase biocompatibility, cellular interactions, and receptor targeting. In recent years, peptide modifications have been used to overcome many challenges to polymer biomaterial development. This review discusses recent progress in developing peptide-modified polymers for therapeutic applications including cell-specific targeting and tissue engineering. Furthermore, we will explore some of the most frequently studied base components of these biomaterials.

GE11 peptide-installed chimaeric polymersomes tailor-made for high-efficiency EGFR-targeted protein therapy of orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a leading malignancy with a high mortality and little improvement in treatments. Protein drugs though known for their extraordinary potency and specificity have rarely been investigated for HCC therapy owing to lack of appropriate delivery systems. Here, we designed GE11 peptide-installed chimaeric polymersomes (GE11-CPs) for high-efficiency EGFR-targeted protein therapy of orthotopic SMMC-7721 HCC-bearing nude mice. GE11-CPs were assembled from poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(trimethylene carbonate-co-dithiolane trimethylene carbonate)-b-poly(aspartic acid) (PEG-P(TMC-DTC)-PAsp) and GE11-functionalized PEG-P(TMC-DTC), which allowed efficient loading and protection of proteins in the watery interior and fine-tuning of GE11 densities at the surface. CPs with short PAsp segments (degree of polymerization (DP) = 5, 10 and 15) exhibited a protein loading efficiency of 60%-72% and glutathione-responsive protein release. Saporin-loaded GE11-CPs had a size of 36 - 62 nm depending on GE11 densities and DP of PAsp. Notably, GE11-CPs with 10% GE11 revealed greatly enhanced uptake in SMMC-7721 cells, boosting the anticancer potency of saporin for over 3-folds compared with non-targeted control (half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) = 11.0 versus 36.3 nM). The biodistribution studies using Cy5-labeled cytochrome C as a model protein demonstrated about 3-fold higher accumulation of GE11-CPs formulation than CPs counterpart in both subcutaneous and orthotopic SMMC-7721 tumor models. Notably, saporin-loaded GE11-CPs revealed low toxicity, effective tumor inhibition and significant improvement of survival rate compared with PBS and non-targeted groups (median survival time: 99 versus 37 and 42 days). EGFR-targeted chimaeric polymersomes carrying proteins appear an interesting HCC treatment modality.

Enhancement of tumour penetration by nanomedicines through strategies based on transport processes and barriers

Nanomedicines for antitumour therapy have been widely studied in recent decades, but only a few have been used in clinical applications. One of the most important reasons is the poor tumour permeability of the nanomedicines. In this three-part review, intravascular, transvascular and extravascular transport were introduced one by one according to their roles in the overall process of nanomedicine transport into tumours. Transportation obstacles, such as elevated interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), abnormal blood vessels, dense tumour extracellular matrix (ECM) and binding site barriers (BSB), were each discussed in the context of the respective transport processes. Furthermore, homologous resolution strategies were summarized on the basis of each transportation obstacle, such as the normalization of blood vessels, regulation of the tumour microenvironment (TME) and application of transformable nanoparticles. At the end of this review, we propose holistic, concrete, and innovative views for better tumour penetration of nanomedicines.

Dithiolane-Crosslinked Poly(ε-caprolactone)-Based Micelles: Impact of Monomer Sequence, Nature of Monomer, and Reducing Agent on the Dynamic Crosslinking Properties

Dithiolanes are used to obtain dynamic and reversible crosslinks between polymer chains. Copolymers of two different dithiolane-containing cyclic carbonate monomers and ε-caprolactone (CL) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization using a methoxy-poly(ethylene glycol) (mPEG) initiator and different catalysts (diphenyl phosphate (DPP), methanesulfonic acid (MSA), 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD), or Sn(Oct)2). Each catalyst required a different temperature, which had a pronounced influence on the reactivity ratio of the monomers and occurrence of transesterification reactions and, therefore, the monomer sequence. Self-crosslinkable copolymers were obtained when the dithiolane units were connected closely to the polymer backbone, whereas the presence of a linker unit between the dithiolane and the backbone prevented self-crosslinking. The former amphiphilic PEGylated block copolymers formed micelles by nanoprecipitation in the aqueous environment and crosslinked spontaneously by disulfide exchange during subsequent dialysis. These dithiolane-crosslinked micelles showed reduction-responsive dissociation in the presence of 10 mM glutathione, making them promising drug delivery systems for the intracellularly triggered cargo release.

The chemistry of cross-linked polymeric vesicles and their functionalization towards biocatalytic nanoreactors

Self-assembly of amphiphilic block copolymers into polymersomes continues to be a hot topic in modern research on biomimetics. Their well-known and valued mechanical strength can be increased even further if they are cross-linked. These additional bonds prevent a collapse or disassembly of the polymersomes and open the way towards smart nanoreactors. A variety of chemistries have been applied to obtain the desired cross-linked polymersomes, and therefore, the chemical approaches performed over time will be highlighted in this mini-review. Due to the large number of studies, a selected set of photo-cross-linked and pH-sensitive polymersomes will be specifically highlighted. This system has proven to be a very potent candidate for the formation of nanoreactors and drug delivery systems, and even for the formation of functional multicompartment cell mimics.

Emerging era of “somes”: polymersomes as versatile drug delivery carrier for cancer diagnostics and therapy

Over the past two decades, polymersomes have been widely investigated for the delivery of diagnostic and therapeutic agents in cancer therapy. Polymersomes are stable polymeric vesicles, which are prepared using amphiphilic block polymers of different molecular weights. The use of high molecular weight amphiphilic copolymers allows for possible manipulation of membrane characteristics, which in turn enhances the efficiency of drug delivery. Polymersomes are more stable in comparison with liposomes and show less toxicity in vivo. Furthermore, their ability to encapsulate both hydrophilic and hydrophobic drugs, significant biocompatibility, robustness, high colloidal stability, and simple methods for ligands conjugation make polymersomes a promising candidate for therapeutic drug delivery in cancer therapy. This review is focused on current development in the application of polymersomes for cancer therapy and diagnosis. Graphical abstract.

Biomolecule–polymer hybrid compartments: combining the best of both worlds

Recent advances in bio/polymer hybrid compartments in the quest to obtain artificial cells, biosensors and catalytic compartments.

Effective inhibitory activity against MCF-7, A549 and HepG2 cancer cells by a phosphomolybdate based hybrid solid

A novel P₂Mo₅ cluster based hybrid solid [{4,4′-H₂bpy}{4,4′-Hbpy}₂{H₂P₂Mo₅O₂₃}]·5H₂O with effective anti-proliferation activity against MCF-7, HepG2 and A549 cancer cells comparable with a routinely used chemotherapeutic agent, methotrexate (MTX).

Importance of Combining Advanced Particle Size Analysis Techniques To Characterize Cell-Penetrating Peptide-Ferrocifen Self-Assemblies

The design of a simple platform to target the delivery of notably hydrophobic drugs into cancer cells is an ultimate goal. Here, three strategies were combined in the same nanovector, in limiting the use of excipients: cell-penetrating peptides, an amphiphilic prodrug, and self-assembly. Light scattering and cryogenic transmission electron microscopy revealed one size population of objects around 100 nm with a narrow size distribution. However, in-depth analysis of the suspension by nanoparticle tracking analysis, small-angle X-ray scattering, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) diffusometry demonstrated the presence of another population of small objects (<2 nm). It has been shown that these small self-assemblies represented >99% of the matter! This presence was clearly and unambiguously demonstrated by NMR diffusometry experiments. The study highlights the importance and the complementary contribution of each characterization method to reflect the reality of the studied nanoassembly.

Self-Assembly and Enzyme Responsiveness of Amphiphilic Linear-Dendritic Block Copolymers Based on Poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) and Dendritic Phenylalanyl-lysine Dipeptides

In this study, we present the synthesis, self-assembly, and enzyme responsive nature of a unique class of well-defined amphiphilic linear-dendritic block copolymers (PNVP-b-dendr(Phe-Lys)n, n = 1-3) based on linear poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PNVP) and dendritic phenylalanyl-lysine (Phe-Lys) dipeptides. The copolymers were prepared via a combination ofreversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) /xanthates (MADIX) polymerization of N-vinylpyrrolidone and stepwise peptide chemistry. The results of fluorescence spectroscopy, 1H NMR analyses, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and particle size analysis demonstrated that the copolymers self-assemble in aqueous solution into micellar nanocontainers that can disassemble and release encapsulated anticancer drug doxorubicin or hydrophobic dye Nile red by trigger of a serine protease trypsin under physiological conditions. The disassembly of the formed micelles and release rates of the drug or dye can be adjusted by changing the generation of dendrons in PNVP-b-dendr(Phe-Lys)n. Furthermore, the cytocompatibility of the copolymers have been confirmed using human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) and human liver cancer cells (SMMC-7721). Due to the fact of their enzyme responsive properties and good biocompatibility, the copolymers may have potential applicability in smart controlled release systems capable of site-specific response.

A Photocleavable Amphiphilic Prodrug Self-Assembled Nanoparticles with Effective Anticancer Activity In Vitro

Accelerating degradation of prodrug is an effective strategy for improving the pharmacological action. A photocleavable amphiphilic prodrug of methotrexate-coumarin derivative-PEG conjugates (MTX-AMC-PEG) with photo-triggered breakage to release clinical drug under laser irradiation was fabricated and self-assembled into nanoparticles for chemotherapy. The nanoparticles exhibited good intracellular uptake and excellent photolysis release of MTX, which resulted in efficient anticancer activity in vitro with laser irradiation. This research provides a way to fabricate photocleavable prodrug nanoparticles with stimuli-triggered drug release behavior.

Targeted chemotherapy for subcutaneous and orthotopic non-small cell lung tumors with cyclic RGD-functionalized and disulfide-crosslinked polymersomal doxorubicin

Lung cancer, with its high mortality and increasing morbidity, has become one of the most lethal malignancies worldwide. Here, we developed cyclic RGD peptide-directed and disulfide-crosslinked polymersomal doxorubicin (cRGD-PS-Dox) as a targeted chemotherapy for human non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Notably, cRGD-PS-Dox exhibited a high Dox loading (15.2 wt.%), small hydrodynamic diameter (96 nm), superb stability, prominent targetability to α_vβ₃ integrin overexpressing A549 human lung cancer cells, and rapid release of the drug into nuclei, leading to a significantly improved antitumor activity compared with the control groups, i.e., PS-Dox and Lipo-Dox (a liposome injection employed in clinical settings). The pharmacokinetic and biodistribution results for cRGD-PS-Dox revealed similar elimination half-lives but two-fold enhanced tumor accumulation compared with PS-Dox and Lipo-Dox. Intriguingly, cRGD-PS-Dox effectively suppressed the growth of A549 lung tumors in both subcutaneous and orthotopic models with minimal adverse effects at a Dox dose of 12 mg/kg, leading to significant survival benefits compared with PS-Dox and Lipo-Dox. This α_vβ₃ integrin-targeting multifunctional polymersomal doxorubicin is highly promising for targeted chemotherapy of human NSCLC.

When wrapped in an engineered vesicle and augmented with cancer-targeting peptides, chemotherapy drug doxorubicin shows increased efficacy in a preclinical study. Zhiyuan Zhong, from China’s Soochow University, and his team developed the therapeutic (cRGD-PS-Dox) that targets cancer cells that overexpress a specific protein (α_vβ₃ integrin), such as those of non-small cell lung cancer. In vitro assays showed that cRGD-PS-Dox specifically targeted and inhibited cancer cells, and inhibited the growth and metastasis of human tumor grafts in mice. In vivo imaging confirmed a desirable drug stability profile and accumulation within tumors. These results showed clear advantages over non-targeted doxorubicin treatment controls. Mice treated with cRGD-PS-Dox also survived significantly longer than control-treated mice. The preferential attributes of the therapy make it a promising agent for further study into tumors that overexpress α_vβ₃ integrin.

Granzyme B-loaded, cell-selective penetrating and reduction-responsive polymersomes effectively inhibit progression of orthotopic human lung tumor in vivo

The clinical use of protein therapeutics with intracellular targets is hampered by its in vivo fragility and low cell permeability. Here, we report that cell-selective penetrating and reduction-responsive polymersomes (CPRPs) mediate high-efficiency targeted delivery of granzyme B (GrB) to orthotopic human lung tumor in vivo. Model protein studies using FITC-labeled cytochrome C (FITC-CC) revealed efficient and high protein loading up to 17.2 wt% for CPRPs. FITC-CC-loaded CPRPs exhibited a small size of 82-90 nm, reduction-responsive protein release, as well as greatly enhanced internalization and cytoplasmic protein release in A549 lung cancer cells compared with the non-targeted FITC-CC-loaded RPs control. GrB-loaded CPRPs showed a high potency toward A549 lung cancer cells with a half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) of 20.7 nM. Under the same condition, free GrB was essentially non-toxic. Importantly, installing cell-selective penetrating peptide did not alter the circulation time but did enhance tumor accumulation of RPs. Orthotopic A549-Luc lung tumor-bearing nude mice administered with GrB-loaded CPRPs at a dosage of 2.88 nmol GrB equiv./kg showed complete tumor growth inhibition with little body weight loss throughout the treatment period, resulting in significantly improved survival rate over the non-targeted and non-treated controls. These cell-selective penetrating and reduction-responsive polymersomes provide a targeted protein therapy for cancers.

Protein Nanotherapeutics as an Emerging Modality for Cancer Therapy

Protein drugs are a unique and versatile class of biotherapeutics that have not only high biological activity but also superb specificity. This rapidly evolving biotechnology has rendered it possible to produce various proteins in a large scale and reproducible way. Many proteins have demonstrated striking anticancer activities and have emerged as advanced alternatives to cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents for cancer therapy. The clinical translation of anticancer proteins with intracellular targets is, nevertheless, severely hindered by their fast degradation in vivo, poor cell penetration, and inefficient intracellular transportation. The past few years have witnessed tremendous effort and progress in developing polymeric protein delivery nanosystems, ranging from nanoparticles, nanocapsules, nanogels, micelles, to polymersomes, for the treatment of different tumors such as lung tumors, breast tumors, ovarian cancers, and glioblastoma. These proof-of-concept studies point out that protein nanotherapeutics, with rationally designed nanovehicles, are able to overcome the extracellular barriers, cell membrane barriers, and intracellular barriers, and systemically deliver proteins into targeted cancer cells, resulting in effective cancer protein therapy. Protein nanotherapeutics appear to be a novel modality for safe and efficient cancer treatment.

Prussian blue decorated mesoporous silica hybrid nanocarriers for photoacoustic imaging-guided synergistic chemo-photothermal combination therapy

Herein, Prussian blue decorated mesoporous silica PB@MSH-EDA NPs are fabricated for efficient photoacoustic imaging guided chemo-photothermal combination therapy.