Nanobodies: a new potential for prostate cancer treatment

Nanotherapy to Reshape the Tumor Microenvironment: A New Strategy for Prostate Cancer Treatment

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common cancer in males worldwide. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is the primary treatment method used for PCa. Although more effective androgen synthesis and antiandrogen inhibitors have been developed for clinical practice, hormone resistance increases the incidence of ADT-insensitive prostate cancer and poor prognoses. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has become a research hotspot with efforts to identify treatment targets based on the characteristics of the TME to improve prognosis. Herein, we introduce the basic characteristics of the PCa TME and the side effects of traditional prostate cancer treatments. We further highlight the emergence of novel nanotherapy strategies, their therapeutic mechanisms, and their effects on the PCa microenvironment. With further research, clinical applications of nanotherapy for PCa are expected in the near future. Collectively, this Review provides a valuable resource regarding the various nanotherapy types, demonstrating their broad clinical prospects to improve the quality of life in patients with PCa.

Tumour Microenvironment: The General Principles of Pathogenesis and Implications in Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma

Diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma worldwide, constituting around 30-40% of all cases. Almost 60% of patients develop relapse of refractory DLBCL. Among the reasons for the therapy failure, tumour microenvironment (TME) components could be involved, including tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs), myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs), tumour-associated neutrophils (TANs), cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and different subtypes of cytotoxic CD8+ cells and T regulatory cells, which show complex interactions with tumour cells. Understanding of the TME can provide new therapeutic options for patients with DLBCL and improve their prognosis and overall survival. This review provides essentials of the latest understanding of tumour microenvironment elements and discusses their role in tumour progression and immune suppression mechanisms which result in poor prognosis for patients with DLBCL. In addition, we point out important markers for the diagnostic purposes and highlight novel therapeutic targets.

Protein and peptide-based renal targeted drug delivery systems

Renal diseases have become an increasingly concerned public health problem in the world. Kidney-targeted drug delivery has profound transformative potential on increasing renal efficacy and reducing extra-renal toxicity. Protein and peptide-based kidney targeted drug delivery systems have garnered more and more attention due to its controllable synthesis, high biocompatibility and low immunogenicity. At the same time, the targeting methods based on protein/peptide are also abundant, including passive renal targeting based on macromolecular protein and active targeting mediated by renal targeting peptide. Here, we review the application and the drug loading strategy of different proteins or peptides in targeted drug delivery, including the ferritin family, albumin, low molecular weight protein (LMWP), different peptide sequence and antibodies. In addition, we summarized the factors influencing passive and active targeting in drug delivery system, the main receptors related to active targeting in different kidney diseases, and a variety of nano forms of proteins based on the controllable synthesis of proteins.

Ultrasensitive Electrochemical Immunosensors Using Nanobodies as Biocompatible Sniffer Tools of Agricultural Contaminants and Human Disease Biomarkers

Nanobodies (Nbs) are known as camelid single-domain fragments or variable heavy chain antibodies (VHH) that in vitro recognize the antigens (Ag) similar to full-size antibodies (Abs) and in vivo allow immunoreactions with biomolecule cavities inaccessible to conventional Abs. Currently, Nbs are widely used for clinical treatments due to their remarkably improved performance, ease of production, thermal robustness, superior physical and chemical properties. Interestingly, Nbs are also very promising bioreceptors for future rapid and portable immunoassays, compared to those using unstable full-size antibodies. For all these reasons, Nbs are excellent candidates in ecological risk assessments and advanced medicine, enabling the development of ultrasensitive biosensing platforms. In this review, immobilization strategies of Nbs on conductive supports for enhanced electrochemical immune detection of food contaminants (Fcont) and human biomarkers (Hbio) are discussed. In the case of Fcont, the direct competitive immunoassay detection using coating antigen solid surface is the most commonly used approach for efficient Nbs capture which was characterized with cyclic voltammetry (CV) and differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) when the signal decays for increasing concentrations of free antigen prepared in aqueous solutions. In contrast, for the Hbio investigations on thiolated gold electrodes, increases in amperometric and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) signals were recorded, with increases in the antigen concentrations prepared in PBS or spiked real human samples.