Inflammation-modulating nanoparticles for pneumonia therapy

How can traditional Chinese medicine enhance the efficacy of antibiotics in the treatment of MRSA-infected pneumonia: An experimental study on the combination of Reyanning mixture (RYN) and linezolid

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

The Reyanning Mixture (RYN) is a Chinese patent medicine widely used in the treatment of respiratory inflammatory diseases in China and has potential in the treatment of bacteria-infected pneumonia.

AIM OF THE STUDY

The present study aimed to demonstrate the therapeutic potential of RYN in combination with linezolid for the treatment of MRSA-infected pneumonia and to explore the mechanisms of action and active components.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The pharmacodynamics of RYN alone and in combination with linezolid was investigated in a rat model of MRSA-induced pneumonia. Transcriptomics, ELISA, Western blot and qRT-PCR were used to explore and verify the pharmacological mechanism of the anti-inflammatory effect of RYN. UPLC-MS and molecular docking were used to explore the anti-inflammatory components of RYN for the treatment of MRSA-infected pneumonia.

RESULTS

In vivo, RYN reduced lung injury and inflammation in rats with pneumonia. In particular, the combination of RYN and linezolid enhanced the therapeutic effect compared to that of either treatment alone. Further research suggests that the synergistic therapeutic effect of the combination may be related to the inhibition of the inflammatory response by RYN and the enhancement of linezolid inhibition and clearance of MRSA in lung tissues by RYN. RYN plays an anti-inflammatory role in MRSA-infected pneumonia by inhibiting the TLR2/NF-κB/NLRP3 pathway, with 7 active components that may play a dominant role.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that RYN may serve as an adjuvant drug to antibiotics for the treatment of MRSA-associated pneumonia. Exploration of its mechanisms and active components is conducive to the clinical application and quality improvement of RYN. More importantly, this study showed that the synergistic therapeutic effect of the combination of traditional Chinese medicine and antibiotics may be a valuable therapeutic strategy.

Nanotherapy therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome: a review

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a complex and life-threatening disease characterized by severe respiratory failure. The lethality of ARDS remains alarmingly high, especially with the persistent ravages of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in recent years. ARDS is one of the major complications of neocoronavirus pneumonia and the leading cause of death in infected patients. The large-scale outbreak of COVID-19 has greatly increased the incidence and mortality of ARDS. Despite advancements in our understanding of the causes and mechanisms of ARDS, the current clinical practice is still limited to the use of supportive medications to alleviate its progression. However, there remains a pressing need for effective therapeutic drugs to combat this devastating disease. In this comprehensive review, we discuss the commonly used therapeutic drugs for ARDS, including steroids, vitamin C, targeted inhibitors, and heparin. While these medications have shown some promise in managing ARDS, there is still a significant gap in the availability of definitive treatments. Moreover, we highlight the potential of nanocarrier delivery systems, such as liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, polymer nanoparticles, and inorganic nanoparticles, as promising therapeutic approaches for ARDS in the future. These innovative delivery systems have demonstrated encouraging results in early clinical trials and offer the potential for more targeted and effective treatment options. Despite the promising early results, further clinical trials are necessary to fully assess the efficacy and safety of nanotherapies for ARDS. Additionally, more in-depth research should be conducted to focus on the continuous development of precision therapies targeting different stages of ARDS development or different triggers. This will provide more ideas and rationale for the treatment of ARDS and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.

Mucus-Penetrable Biomimetic Nanoantibiotics for Pathogen-Induced Pneumonia Treatment

Bacterial pneumonia has garnered significant attention in the realm of infectious diseases owing to a surge in the incidence of severe infections coupled with the growing scarcity of efficacious therapeutic modalities. Antibiotic treatment is still an irreplaceable method for bacterial pneumonia because of its strong bactericidal activity and good clinical efficacy. However, the mucus layer forming after a bacterial infection in the lungs has been considered as the "Achilles' heels" facing the clinical application of such treatment. Herein, traceable biomimetic nanoantibiotics (BioNanoCFPs) were developed by loading indacenodithieno[3,2-b]thiophene (ITIC) and cefoperazone (CFP) in nanoplatforms coated with natural killer (NK) cell membranes. The BioNanoCFP exhibited excellent demonstrated mucus-penetrating abilities, facilitating their arrival at the infection site. The presence of Toll-like receptors in the NK cell membrane rendered the BioNanoCFP with the capability to recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns within bacteria, allowing precise targeting of bacterial colonization sites and achieving substantial therapeutic efficacy. Overall, our findings demonstrate the viability and desirability of using NK cell membrane-mediated drug delivery as a promising strategy for precision treatment.

Hybrid biomineralized nanovesicles to enhance inflamed lung biodistribution and reduce side effect of glucocorticoid for ARDS therapy

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a critical illness characterized by severe lung inflammation. Improving the delivery efficiency and achieving the controlled release of anti-inflammatory drugs at the lung inflammatory site are major challenges in ARDS therapy. Taking advantage of the increased pulmonary vascular permeability and a slightly acidic-inflammatory microenvironment, pH-responsive mineralized nanoparticles based on dexamethasone sodium phosphate (DSP) and Ca2+ were constructed. By further biomimetic modification with M2 macrophage membranes, hybrid mineralized nanovesicles (MM@LCaP) were designed to possess immunomodulatory ability from the membranes and preserve the pH-sensitivity from core nanoparticles for responsive drug release under acidic inflammatory conditions. Compared with healthy mice, the lung/liver accumulation of MM@LCaP in inflammatory mice was increased by around 5.5 times at 48 h after intravenous injection. MM@LCaP promoted the polarization of anti-inflammatory macrophages, calmed inflammatory cytokines, and exhibited a comprehensive therapeutic outcome. Moreover, MM@LCaP improved the safety profile of glucocorticoids. Taken together, the hybrid mineralized nanovesicles-based drug delivery strategy may offer promising ideas for enhancing the efficacy and reducing the toxicity of clinical drugs.

Enhancing the Treatment of Uncontrolled Inflammation through the Targeted Delivery of TPCA-1-Loaded Nanoparticles

Uncontrolled inflammation is a pathological state that underlies many diseases. Despite the development of numerous anti-inflammatory agents, the treatment of uncontrolled inflammation remains a challenging task. We developed a targeted delivery system for [5-(p-fluorophenyl)-2-ureido]thiophene-3-carboxamide (TPCA-1), a potent inhibitor of the NF-κB signaling pathway. The system comprises TPCA-1-loaded nanoparticles (NPs) functionalized with a monoclonal antibody (mAb) that specifically binds to the break point of the IgD6 region of the platelet/endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) extracellular segment that is overexposed on the injured endothelium and activated macrophages during the pathogenesis of inflammation. In vitro binding and cellular uptake experiments revealed that the mAb modification on NPs could significantly enhance uptake by both Raw264.7 and HUVEC compared with unmodified NPs. In studies conducted at the cellular level focusing on anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, this formulation was found to effectively inhibit M1 polarization of macrophages, downregulate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and reduce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and nitric oxide (NO). In an animal model of vascular endothelial injury with acute inflammation, these NPs were capable of delivering TPCA-1 to inflammatory lesions in a targeted manner. Compared with the free agent-treated group, the NP-treated group exhibited reduced infiltration of inflammatory cells. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that this targeted delivery of TPCA-1-loaded NPs represents a promising strategy for improved mitigation of uncontrolled inflammation.

Changes and Clinical Value of Serum miR-24 and miR-223 Levels in Patients with Severe Pneumonia

Introduction

Severe pneumonia progresses rapidly, so early assessment of the severity and prognosis is crucial for reducing mortality rates.

Objective

We explore the role of serum microRNA-24 (miR-24) and microRNA-223 (miR-223) in the prognosis of severe pneumonia.

Methods

There were a total of 96 patients with general pneumonia, 94 patients with severe pneumonia, and 93 healthy people, who were enrolled in this study. The levels of serum miR-24 and miR-223 were detected by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR in all groups.

Results

The serum miR-223 level in the severe group was higher than that in the common group and the control group, and the miR-24 level was lower than that in the common group and the control group (P<0.05). The serum miR-223 levels and APACHEII scores in the death group were higher than those in the survival group on the first, third, and seventh day after admission, while the miR-24 levels were lower than those in the survival group (P<0.05). The proportion of patients with mechanical ventilation in the death group was higher than that in the survival group (P<0.05). The level of serum miR-24 was negatively correlated with APACHEII score and mechanical ventilation in patients who died of severe pneumonia (P<0.05), and miR-223 was positively correlated with APACHEII score and mechanical ventilation (P<0.05). The AUC predicted by serum miR-24, miR-223, and APACHEII scores alone and jointly were 0.867, 0.839, 0.791, and 0.952, respectively. MiR-24 and miR-223 are protective and independent risk factors for mortality in severe pneumonia patients, respectively (P<0.05). MiR-24 was a protective factor affecting the death of patients with severe pneumonia, and miR-223 was an independent risk factor affecting the death of patients with severe pneumonia (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The combination of serum miR-24 and miR-223 levels on the first day after admission and APACHEII score can effectively predict prognosis.

Recent advances in nanoparticle applications in respiratory disorders: a review

Various nanoparticles are used in the discovery of new nanomedicine to overcome the shortages of conventional drugs. Therefore, this article presents a comprehensive and up-to-date review of the effects of nanoparticle-based drugs in the treatment of respiratory disorders, including both basic and clinical studies. Databases, including PubMed, Web of Knowledge, and Scopus, were searched until the end of August 2022 regarding the effect of nanoparticles on respiratory diseases. As a new tool, nanomedicine offered promising applications for the treatment of pulmonary diseases. The basic composition and intrinsic characteristics of nanomaterials showed their effectiveness in treating pulmonary diseases. The efficiency of different nanomedicines has been demonstrated in experimental animal models of asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), pulmonary fibrosis (PF), lung cancer, lung infection, and other lung disorders, confirming their function in the improvement of respiratory disorders. Various types of nanomaterials, such as carbon nanotubes, dendrimers, polymeric nanomaterials, liposomes, quantum dots, and metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, have demonstrated therapeutic effects on respiratory disorders, which may lead to new possible remedies for various respiratory illnesses that could increase drug efficacy and decrease side effects.

The application of nanomedicine in clinical settings

As nanotechnology develops in the fields of mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, information and communication, and medical care, it has shown great promises. In recent years, medical nanorobots have made significant progress in terms of the selection of materials, fabrication methods, driving force sources, and clinical applications, such as nanomedicine. It involves bypassing biological tissues and delivering drugs directly to lesions and target cells using nanorobots, thus increasing concentration. It has also proved useful for monitoring disease progression, complementary diagnosis, and minimally invasive surgery. Also, we examine the development of nanomedicine and its applications in medicine, focusing on the use of nanomedicine in the treatment of various major diseases, including how they are generalized and how they are modified. The purpose of this review is to provide a summary and discussion of current research for the future development in nanomedicine.

Emerging strategies in nanotechnology to treat respiratory tract infections: realizing current trends for future clinical perspectives

A boom in respiratory tract infection cases has inflicted a socio-economic burden on the healthcare system worldwide, especially in developing countries. Limited alternative therapeutic options have posed a major threat to human health. Nanotechnology has brought an immense breakthrough in the pharmaceutical industry in a jiffy. The vast applications of nanotechnology ranging from early diagnosis to treatment strategies are employed for respiratory tract infections. The research avenues explored a multitude of nanosystems for effective drug delivery to the target site and combating the issues laid through multidrug resistance and protective niches of the bacteria. In this review a brief introduction to respiratory diseases and multifaceted barriers imposed by bacterial infections are enlightened. The manuscript reviewed different nanosystems, i.e. liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, polymeric nanoparticles, dendrimers, nanogels, and metallic (gold and silver) which enhanced bactericidal effects, prevented biofilm formation, improved mucus penetration, and site-specific delivery. Moreover, most of the nanotechnology-based recent research is in a preclinical and clinical experimental stage and safety assessment is still challenging.

Pyridine Carboxamides Based on Sulfobetaines: Design, Reactivity, and Biological Activity

The synthesis of the products of the 1,3-propanesultone ring opening during its interaction with amides of pyridinecarboxylic acids has been carried out. The dependence of the yield of the reaction products on the position (ortho-, meta-, para-) of the substituent in the heteroaromatic fragment and temperature condition was revealed. In contrast to the meta- and para-substituted substrates, the reaction involving ortho-derivatives at the boiling point of methanol unexpectedly led to the formation of a salt. On the basis of spectroscopic, X-Ray, and quantum-chemical calculation data, a model of the transition-state, as well as a mechanism for this alkylation reaction of pyridine carboxamides with sultone were proposed in order to explain the higher yields obtained with the nicotinamide and its N-methyl analog compared to ortho or meta parents. Based on the analysis of ESP maps, the positions of the binding sites of reagents with a potential complexing agent in space were determined. The in silico evaluation of possible biological activity showed that the synthetized compounds revealed some promising pharmacological effects and low acute toxicity.

Targeting pulmonary vascular endothelial cells for the treatment of respiratory diseases

Pulmonary vascular endothelial cells (VECs) are the main damaged cells in the pathogenesis of various respiratory diseases and they mediate the development and regulation of the diseases. Effective intervention targeting pulmonary VECs is of great significance for the treatment of respiratory diseases. A variety of cell markers are expressed on the surface of VECs, some of which can be specifically combined with the drugs or carriers modified by corresponding ligands such as ICAM-1, PECAM-1, and P-selectin, to achieve effective delivery of drugs in lung tissues. In addition, the great endothelial surface area of the pulmonary vessels, the “first pass effect” of venous blood in lung tissues, and the high volume and relatively slow blood perfusion rate of pulmonary capillaries further promote the drug distribution in lung tissues. This review summarizes the representative markers at the onset of respiratory diseases, drug delivery systems designed to target these markers and their therapeutic effects.

Insights into the Anti-inflammatory and Antiviral Mechanisms of Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring stilbene phytoalexin phenolic compound, which has been extensively studied on its biological activity. It has been widely accepted that resveratrol possesses anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities. In this review, we summarize the anti-inflammatory dosages and mechanism and antiviral mechanism of resveratrol. Since viral infections are often accompanied by inflammation, we propose that the NF-κB signaling pathway is a key and common molecular mechanism of resveratrol to exert anti-inflammatory and antiviral effects. For future studies, we believe that resveratrol's anti-inflammatory and antiviral mechanisms can consider the upstream signaling molecules of the NF-κB signaling pathway. For resveratrol antivirus, future studies can be conducted on the interaction of resveratrol with key proteins or important enzymes of the virus. In addition, we also think that the clinical application of resveratrol is very important. In short, resveratrol is a promising anti-inflammatory and antiviral drug, and research on it needs to be expanded.

Effect of Phyto-Assisted Synthesis of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) on Bacteria and the Root-Knot Nematode

The root-knot nematode was examined using magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO-NPs) made from strawberries. The biologically synthesized MgO-NPs were characterized by UV, SEM, FTIR, EDS, TEM, and dynamic light scattering (DLS). Nanoparticles (NPs) were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and shown to be spherical to hexagonal nanoparticles with an average size of 100 nm. MgO-NPs were tested on the root-knot nematode M. incognita (Meloidogynidae) and the plant pathogenic bacteria Ralstonia solanacearum. The synthesized MgO-NPs showed a significant inhibition of R. solanacearum and the root-knot nematode. MgO-NPs cause mortality and inhibit egg hatching of second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. incognita under the in vitro assay. This study aims to examine the biological activity of biogenic MgO-NPs. The findings marked that MgO-NPs may be utilized to manage R. solanacearum and M. incognita and develop effective nematicides. In addition, the antioxidant capacity of MgO-NPs was determined by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate (DPPH).

Biomedical polymers: synthesis, properties, and applications

Biomedical polymers have been extensively developed for promising applications in a lot of biomedical fields, such as therapeutic medicine delivery, disease detection and diagnosis, biosensing, regenerative medicine, and disease treatment. In this review, we summarize the most recent advances in the synthesis and application of biomedical polymers, and discuss the comprehensive understanding of their property-function relationship for corresponding biomedical applications. In particular, a few burgeoning bioactive polymers, such as peptide/biomembrane/microorganism/cell-based biomedical polymers, are also introduced and highlighted as the emerging biomaterials for cancer precision therapy. Furthermore, the foreseeable challenges and outlook of the development of more efficient, healthier and safer biomedical polymers are discussed. We wish this systemic and comprehensive review on highlighting frontier progress of biomedical polymers could inspire and promote new breakthrough in fundamental research and clinical translation.