Recent progress in dendrimer-based nanomedicine development

Advances in polymeric nano-delivery systems targeting hair follicles for the treatment of acne

Acne is a common chronic inflammatory disorder of the sebaceous gland in the hair follicle. Commonly used external medications cause skin irritation, and the transdermal capacity is weak, making it difficult to penetrate the cuticle skin barrier. Hair follicles can aid in the breakdown of this barrier. As nanomaterials progress, polymer-based nanocarriers are routinely used for hair follicle drug delivery to treat acne and other skin issues. Based on the physiological and anatomical characteristics of hair follicles, this paper discusses factors affecting hair follicle delivery by polymer nanocarriers, summarizes the common combination technology to improve the targeting of hair follicles by carriers, and finally reviews the most recent research progress of different polymer nanodrug-delivery systems for the treatment of acne by targeting hair follicles.

Zwitterionic Polymers for Biomedical Applications: Antimicrobial and Antifouling Strategies toward Implantable Medical Devices and Drug Delivery

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is extensively utilized in biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility; however, its thermal instability and susceptibility to oxidative degradation significantly constrain its long-term effectiveness. Zwitterionic polymers, characterized by their distinctive structure, enhanced stability, and superior biocompatibility, offer a more advantageous alternative. These polymers exhibit super hydrophilicity, resist nonspecific protein adsorption, and maintain stability in biological environments due to their charge-neutral ionic nature. Zwitterionic polymers enhance anticancer drug delivery by precisely targeting tumor cells and facilitating an efficient drug release. Their inherent antifouling properties and prolonged circulation within the bloodstream render them highly suitable for redox-sensitive drug carriers, thereby augmenting the antitumor efficacy. Moreover, zwitterionic polymers markedly mitigate biofouling in implants, biosensors, and wound dressings, thereby improving both their functionality and their therapeutic outcomes. These advantages arise from the formation of robust hydration layers, which significantly enhance the hemocompatibility and inhibit the adhesion of proteins, platelets, and bacteria. Zwitterionic polymers, including sulfobetaine (SB), phosphorylcholine (PC), and carboxybetaine (CB), are increasingly employed in blood-contacting devices and as effective coating materials for implantable devices. This mini-review paper aims to explore the recent diverse biomedical applications of zwitterionic polymers and highlight their advantageous properties compared with unmodified polymers. We will cover their use in drug delivery systems, tumor targeting nanocarriers, antibiofouling and antibacterial activities in implantable devices, tissue engineering, and diagnostic devices, demonstrating how their unique properties can translate into different applications. Through this exploration, this Perspective will display the potential of zwitterionic polymers as innovative polymer materials in the field of biomedical engineering and beyond.

Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery Systems for Treating Acute Kidney Injury

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a disease that is characterized by a rapid decline in renal function and has a relatively high incidence in hospitalized patients. Sepsis, renal hypoperfusion, and nephrotoxic drug exposure are the main causes of AKI. The major therapy measures currently include supportive treatment, symptomatic treatment, and kidney transplantation. These methods are supportive treatments, and their results are not satisfactory. Fortunately, many new treatments that markedly improve the AKI therapy efficiency are emerging. These include antioxidant therapy, ferroptosis therapy, anti-inflammatory therapy, autophagy therapy, and antiapoptotic therapy. In addition, the development of nanotechnology has further promoted therapeutic effects on AKI. In this review, we highlight recent advances in the development of nanocarriers for AKI drug delivery. Emphasis has been placed on the latest developments in nanocarrier modification and design. We also summarize the applications of different nanocarriers in AKI treatment. Finally, the advantages and challenges of nanocarrier applications in AKI are summarized, and several nanomedicines that have been approved for clinical trials to treat diverse kidney diseases are listed.

Actively Targeted Nanomedicines: A New Perspective for the Treatment of Pregnancy-Related Diseases

More than 20% of pregnant women experience serious complications during pregnancy, that gravely affect the safety of both the mother and the child. Due to the unique state of pregnancy, medication during pregnancy is subject to various restrictions. Nanotechnology is an emerging technology that has been the focus of extensive medical research, and great progress has recently been made in developing sensitive diagnostic modalities and efficient medical treatment. Accumulating evidence has shown that nanodrug delivery systems can significantly improve the targeting, reduce the toxicity and improve the bioavailability of drugs. Recently, some actively targeted nanomedicines have been explored in the treatment of pregnancy-related diseases. This article reviews common types of nanocarriers and active targeting ligands in common pregnancy-related diseases and complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, and choriocarcinoma. Finally, the challenges and future prospects in the development of these nanomaterials are discussed, with the aim of providing guidance for future research directions.

Current knowledge of hybrid nanoplatforms composed of exosomes and organic/inorganic nanoparticles for disease treatment and cell/tissue imaging

Exosome-nanoparticle hybrid nanoplatforms, can be prepared by combining exosomes with different types of nanoparticles. The main purpose of combining exosomes with nanoparticles is to overcome the limitations of using each of them as drug delivery systems. Using nanoparticles for drug delivery has some limitations, such as high immunogenicity, poor cellular uptake, low biocompatibility, cytotoxicity, low stability, and rapid clearance by immune cells. However, using exosomes as drug delivery systems also has its own drawbacks, such as poor encapsulation efficiency, low production yield, and the inability to load large molecules. These limitations can be addressed by utilizing hybrid nanoplatforms. Additionally, the use of exosomes allows for targeted delivery within the hybrid system. Exosome-inorganic/organic hybrid nanoparticles may be used for both therapy and diagnosis in the future. This may lead to the development of personalized medicine using hybrid nanoparticles. However, there are a few challenges associated with this. Surface modifications, adding functional groups, surface charge adjustments, and preparing nanoparticles with the desired size are crucial to the possibility of preparing exosome-nanoparticle hybrids. Additional challenges for the successful implementation of hybrid platforms in medical treatments and diagnostics include scaling up the manufacturing process and ensuring consistent quality and reproducibility across various batches. This review focuses on various types of exosome-nanoparticle hybrid systems and also discusses the preparation and loading methods for these hybrid nanoplatforms. Furthermore, the potential applications of these hybrid nanocarriers in drug/gene delivery, disease treatment and diagnosis, and cell/tissue imaging are explained.

Advances in nucleic acid therapeutics: structures, delivery systems, and future perspectives in cancer treatment

Cancer has emerged as a significant threat to human health. Nucleic acid therapeutics regulate the gene expression process by introducing exogenous nucleic acid fragments, offering new possibilities for tumor remission and even cure. Their mechanism of action and high specificity demonstrate great potential in cancer treatment. However, nucleic acid drugs face challenges such as low stability and limited ability to cross physiological barriers in vivo. To address these issues, various nucleic acid delivery vectors have been developed to enhance the stability and facilitate precise targeted delivery of nucleic acid drugs within the body. In this review article, we primarily introduce the structures and principles of nucleic acid drugs commonly used in cancer therapy, as well as their cellular uptake and intracellular transportation processes. We focus on the various vectors commonly employed in nucleic acid drug delivery, highlighting their research progress and applications in recent years. Furthermore, we propose potential trends and prospects of nucleic acid drugs and their carriers in the future.

A Novel PAMAM G3 Dendrimer-Based Foam with Polyether Polyol and Castor Oil Components as Drug Delivery System into Cancer and Normal Cells

One of the intensively developed tools for cancer therapy is drug-releasing matrices. Polyamidoamine dendrimers (PAMAM) are commonly used as nanoparticles to increase the solubility, stability and retention of drugs in the human body. Most often, drugs are encapsulated in PAMAM cavities or covalently attached to their surface. However, there are no data on the use of PAMAM dendrimers as a component of porous matrices based on polyurethane foams for the controlled release of drugs and biologically active substances. Therefore, in this work, porous materials based on polyurethane foam with incorporated third-generation poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (PAMAM G3) were synthesized and characterized. Density, water uptake and morphology of foams were examined with SEM and XPS. The PAMAM was liquefied with polyether polyol (G441) and reacted with polymeric 4,4'-diphenylmethane diisocyanate (pMDI) in the presence of silicone, water and a catalyst to obtain foam (PF1). In selected compositions, the castor oil was added (PF2). Analogs without PAMAM G3 were also synthesized (F1 and F2, respectively). An SEM analysis of foams showed that they are composed of thin ribs/walls forming an interconnected network containing hollow bubbles/pores and showing some irregularities in the structure. Foam from a G3:G441:CO (PF2) composition is characterized by a more regular structure than the foam from the composition without castor oil. The encapsulation efficiency of drugs determined by the XPS method shows that it varies depending on the matrix and the drug and ranges from several to a dozen mass percent. In vitro biological studies with direct contact and extract assays indicated that the F2 matrix was highly biocompatible. Significant toxicity of dendrimeric matrices PF1 and PF2 containing 50% of PAMAM G3 was higher against human squamous carcinoma cells than human immortalized keratinocytes. The ability of the matrices to immobilize drugs was demonstrated in the example of perspective (Nimesulide, 8-Methoxypsolarene) or approved anticancer drugs (Doxorubicin-DOX, 5-Aminolevulinic acid). Release into the culture medium and penetration of DOX into the tested SCC-15 and HaCaT cells were also proved. The results show that further modification of the obtained matrices may lead to their use as drug delivery systems, e.g., for anticancer therapy.

Polyamidoamine Dendrimers: Brain-Targeted Drug Delivery Systems in Glioma Therapy

Glioma is the most common primary intracranial tumor, which is formed by the malignant transformation of glial cells in the brain and spinal cord. It has the characteristics of high incidence, high recurrence rate, high mortality and low cure rate. The treatments for glioma include surgical removal, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Due to the obstruction of the biological barrier of brain tissue, it is difficult to achieve the desired therapeutic effects. To address the limitations imposed by the brain's natural barriers and enhance the treatment efficacy, researchers have effectively used brain-targeted drug delivery systems (DDSs) in glioma therapy. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers, as branched macromolecular architectures, represent promising candidates for studies in glioma therapy. This review focuses on PAMAM-based DDSs in the treatment of glioma, highlighting their physicochemical characteristics, structural properties as well as an overview of the toxicity and safety profiles.

Multimodal, PSMA-Targeted, PAMAM Dendrimer-Drug Conjugates for Treatment of Prostate Cancer: Preclinical Evaluation

Introduction

Prostate cancer (PC) is the second most common cancer and the fifth most frequent cause of cancer death among men. Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) expression is associated with aggressive PC, with expression in over 90% of patients with metastatic disease. Those characteristics have led to its use for PC diagnosis and therapies with radiopharmaceuticals, antibody-drug conjugates, and nanoparticles. Despite these advancements, none of the current therapeutics are curative and show some degree of toxicity. Here we present the synthesis and preclinical evaluation of a multimodal, PSMA-targeted dendrimer-drug conjugate (PT-DDC), synthesized using poly(amidoamine) (PAMAM) dendrimers. PT-DDC was designed to enable imaging of drug delivery, providing valuable insights to understand and enhance therapeutic response.

Methods

The PT-DDC was synthesized through consecutive conjugation of generation-4 PAMAM dendrimers with maytansinoid-1 (DM1) a highly potent antimitotic agent, Cy5 infrared dye for optical imaging, 2,2',2"-(1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triyl)triacetic acid (NOTA) chelator for radiolabeling with copper-64 and positron emission tomography tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT), lysine-urea-glutamate (KEU) PSMA-targeting moiety and the remaining terminal primary amines were capped with butane-1,2-diol. Non-targeted control dendrimer-drug conjugate (Ctrl-DDC) was formulated without conjugation of KEU. PT-DDC and Ctrl-DDC were characterized using high-performance liquid chromatography, matrix assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry and dynamic light scattering. In vitro and in vivo evaluation of PT-DDC and Ctrl-DDC were carried out in isogenic human prostate cancer PSMA+ PC3 PIP and PSMA- PC3 flu cell lines, and in mice bearing the corresponding xenografts.

Results

PT-DDC was stable in 1×PBS and human blood plasma and required glutathione for DM1 release. Optical, PET/CT and biodistribution studies confirmed the in vivo PSMA-specificity of PT-DDC. PT-DDC demonstrated dose-dependent accumulation and cytotoxicity in PSMA+ PC3 PIP cells, and also showed growth inhibition of the corresponding tumors. PT-DDC did not accumulate in PSMA- PC3 flu tumors and did not inhibit their growth. Ctrl-DDC did not show PSMA specificity.

Conclusion

In this study, we synthesized a multimodal theranostic agent capable of delivering DM1 and a radionuclide to PSMA+ tumors. This approach holds promise for enhancing image-guided treatment of aggressive, metastatic subtypes of prostate cancer.

Recent advances of nanoparticles on bone tissue engineering and bone cells

With the development of biotechnology, biomaterials have been rapidly developed and shown great potential in bone regeneration therapy and bone tissue engineering. Nanoparticles have attracted the attention of researches and have applied in various fields especially in the biomedical field as the special physicochemical properties. Nanoparticles were found to regulate bone remodeling depending on their size, shape, composition, and charge. Therefore, in-depth research was necessary to provide the basic support to select the most suitable nanoparticles for bone relate diseases treatment. This article reviews the current development of nanoparticles in bone tissue engineering, focusing on drug delivery, gene delivery, and cell labeling. In addition, the research progress on the interaction of nanoparticles with bone cells, focusing on osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, and the underlying mechanism were also reviewed. Finally, the current challenges and future research directions are discussed. Thus, detailed study of nanoparticles may reveal new therapeutic strategies to improve the effectiveness of bone regeneration therapy or other bone diseases.

Stage-specific treatment of colorectal cancer: A microRNA-nanocomposite approach

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is among the leading causes of cancer mortality. The lifetime risk of developing CRC is about 5% in adult males and females. CRC is usually diagnosed at an advanced stage, and at this point therapy has a limited impact on cure rates and long-term survival. Novel and/or improved CRC therapeutic options are needed. The involvement of microRNAs (miRNAs) in cancer development has been reported, and their regulation in many oncogenic pathways suggests their potent tumor suppressor action. Although miRNAs provide a promising therapeutic approach for cancer, challenges such as biodegradation, specificity, stability and toxicity, impede their progression into clinical trials. Nanotechnology strategies offer diverse advantages for the use of miRNAs for CRC-targeted delivery and therapy. The merits of using nanocarriers for targeted delivery of miRNA-formulations are presented herein to highlight the role they can play in miRNA-based CRC therapy by targeting different stages of the disease.

Nanotechnology-Based Drug Delivery Systems in the Transdermal Treatment of Melanoma

The incidence rate of melanoma is dramatically increasing worldwide, raising it to the fifth most common cancer in men and the sixth in women currently. Resistance generally occurs to the agents used in chemotherapy; besides their high toxicity destroys the normal cells. This study reviewed a detailed summary of the structure, advantages, and disadvantages of nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems in the treatment of melanoma, as well as some nanocarrier applications in animal models or clinical studies. Respective databases were searched for the target keywords and 93 articles were reviewed and discussed. A close study of the liposomes, niosomes, transferosomes, ethosomes, transethosomes, cubosomes, dendrimers, cyclodextrins, solid lipid nanoparticles, and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was conducted. It was found that these nanocarriers could inhibit metastasis and migration of melanoma cells and decrease cell viability. Conclusively, some nanocarriers like liposomes, niosomes, and transferosomes have been discussed as superior to conventional therapies for melanoma treatment.

Emerging biomaterials for tumor immunotherapy

BACKGROUND

The immune system interacts with cancer cells in various intricate ways that can protect the individual from overproliferation of cancer cells; however, these interactions can also lead to malignancy. There has been a dramatic increase in the application of cancer immunotherapy in the last decade. However, low immunogenicity, poor specificity, weak presentation efficiency, and off-target side effects still limit its widespread application. Fortunately, advanced biomaterials effectively contribute immunotherapy and play an important role in cancer treatment, making it a research hotspot in the biomedical field.

MAIN BODY

This review discusses immunotherapies and the development of related biomaterials for application in the field. The review first summarizes the various types of tumor immunotherapy applicable in clinical practice as well as their underlying mechanisms. Further, it focuses on the types of biomaterials applied in immunotherapy and related research on metal nanomaterials, silicon nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, polymer nanoparticles, and cell membrane nanocarriers. Moreover, we introduce the preparation and processing technologies of these biomaterials (liposomes, microspheres, microneedles, and hydrogels) and summarize their mechanisms when applied to tumor immunotherapy. Finally, we discuss future advancements and shortcomings related to the application of biomaterials in tumor immunotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Research on biomaterial-based tumor immunotherapy is booming; however, several challenges remain to be overcome to transition from experimental research to clinical application. Biomaterials have been optimized continuously and nanotechnology has achieved continuous progression, ensuring the development of more efficient biomaterials, thereby providing a platform and opportunity for breakthroughs in tumor immunotherapy.

Influence of the Chemical Structure on the Mechanical Relaxation of Dendrimers

The rheological properties of macromolecules represent one of the fundamental features of polymer systems which expand the possibilities of using and developing new materials based on them. In this work, we studied the shear-stress relaxation of the second generation PAMAM and PPI dendrimer melts by atomistic molecular dynamics simulation. The time dependences of relaxation modulus G(t) and the frequency dependences of the storage G'(ω) and loss G″(ω) moduli were obtained. The results were compared with the similar dependences for the polycarbosilane (PCS) dendrimer of the same generation. The chemical structure of the dendrimer segments has been found to strongly influence their mechanical relaxation. In particular, it has been shown that hydrogen bonding in PAMAM dendrimers leads to an entanglement of macromolecules and the region is observed where G'(ω) > G″(ω). This slows down the mechanical relaxation and rotational diffusion of macromolecules. We believe that our comprehensive research contributes to the systematization of knowledge about the rheological properties of dendrimers.

Facially Amphiphilic Skeleton-Derived Antibacterial Cationic Dendrimers

It is urgent to develop biocompatible and high-efficiency antimicrobial agents since microbial infections have always posed serious challenges to human health. Herein, through the marriage of facially amphiphilic skeletons and cationic dendrimers, high-density positively charged dendrimers D-CA₆-N⁺ (G2) and D-CA₂-N⁺ (G1) were designed and synthesized using the "branch" of facially amphiphilic bile acids, followed by their modification with quaternary ammonium charges. Both dendrimers could self-assemble into nanostructured micelles in aqueous solution. D-CA₆-N⁺ displays potent antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) as low as 7.50 and 7.79 μM, respectively, and has an evidently stronger antibacterial activity than D-CA₂-N⁺. Moreover, D-CA₆-N⁺ can kill S. aureus faster than E. coli. The facial amphiphilicity of the bile acid skeleton facilitates the selective destruction of bacterial membranes and endows dendrimers with negligible hemolysis and cytotoxicity even under a high concentration of 16× MIC. In vivo studies show that D-CA₆-N⁺ is much more effective and safer than penicillin G in treating S. aureus infection and promoting wound healing, which suggests facially amphiphilic skeleton-derived cationic dendrimers can be a promising approach to effectively enhance antibacterial activity and biocompatibility of antibacterial agent, simultaneously.

Global Trends of Cosmeceutical in Nanotechnology: A Review

Nanotechnology suggests different innovative solutions to augment the worth of cosmetic products through the targeted delivery of content that manifests scientific innovation in research and development. Different nanosystems, like liposomes, niosomes, microemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanoform lipid carriers, nanoemulsions, and nanospheres, are employed in cosmetics. These nanosystems exhibit various innovative cosmetic functions, including site-specific targeting, controlled content release, more stability, improved skin penetration and enhanced entrapment efficiency of loaded compounds. Thus, cosmeceuticals are assumed as the highest-progressing fragment of the personal care industries that have progressed drastically over the years. In recent decades, cosmetic science has widened the origin of its application in different fields. Nanosystems in cosmetics are beneficial in treating different conditions like hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, dandruff, photoaging and hair damage. This review highlights the different nanosystems used in cosmetics for the targeted delivery of loaded content and commercially available formulations. Moreover, this review article has delineated different patented nanocosmetic formulation nanosystems and future aspects of nanocarriers in cosmetics.

The potential role of nanomedicine in the treatment of breast cancer to overcome the obstacles of current therapies

Breast cancer (BC) is the most frequently diagnosed malignant tumor among women in the world. BC is the heterogeneous tumor with different subtypes including luminal A-like, luminal B-like (HER2-/HER2+), HER2 enriched, and triple-negative BC. The therapeutic strategies including surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, targeted therapy, and endocrine therapy are well developed and commonly used in the treatment of BC. However, some adverse effects of these conventional treatments limited their wide application in clinical. Therefore, it is necessary to develop more safe and more efficient individualized treatment strategies of the BC. Nanomedicine, as the most promising strategy for controlled and targeted drug delivery, is widely used in multiple aspects of cancer therapy. Importantly, accumulative evidences show that nanomedicine has achieved good outcomes in the treatment of BC and a huge amount of BC patients benefited from the nanomedicine related treatments. In this review, we summarized and discussed the major problems occurred during the administration of conventional treatment strategies for BC and the potential roles of nanomedicine in promoting the treatment efficacy of BC by overcoming obstacles of current treatment of BC.

Nanoparticles advanced from preclinical studies to clinical trials for lung cancer therapy

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality. As a heterogeneous disease, it has different subtypes and various treatment modalities. In addition to conventional surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy have also been applied in the clinics. However, drug resistance and systemic toxicity still cannot be avoided. Based on the unique properties of nanoparticles, it provides a new idea for lung cancer therapy, especially for targeted immunotherapy. When nanoparticles are used as carriers of drugs with special physical properties, the nanodrug delivery system ensures the accuracy of targeting and the stability of drugs while increasing the permeability and the aggregation of drugs in tumor tissues, showing good anti-tumor effects. This review introduces the properties of various nanoparticles including polymer nanoparticles, liposome nanoparticles, quantum dots, dendrimers, and gold nanoparticles and their applications in tumor tissues. In addition, the specific application of nanoparticle-based drug delivery for lung cancer therapy in preclinical studies and clinical trials is discussed.

Dendrimers as nanoscale vectors: Unlocking the bars of cancer therapy

Chemotherapy is the first choice in the treatment of cancer and is always preferred to other approaches such as radiation and surgery, but it has never met the need of patients for a safe and effective drug. Therefore, new advances in cancer treatment are now needed to reduce the side effects and burdens associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients. Targeted treatment using nanotechnology are now being actively explored as they could effectively deliver therapeutic agents to tumor cells without affecting normal cells. Dendrimers are promising nanocarriers with distinct physiochemical properties that have received considerable attention in cancer therapy studies, which is partly due to the numerous functional groups on their surface. In this review, we discuss the progress of different types of dendrimers as delivery systems in cancer therapy, focusing on the challenges, opportunities, and functionalities of the polymeric molecules. The paper also reviews the various role of dendrimers in their entry into cells via endocytosis, as well as the molecular and inflammatory pathways in cancer. In addition, various dendrimers-based drug delivery (e.g., pH-responsive, enzyme-responsive, redox-responsive, thermo-responsive, etc.) and lipid-, amino acid-, polymer- and nanoparticle-based modifications for gene delivery, as well as co-delivery of drugs and genes in cancer therapy with dendrimers, are presented. Finally, biosafety concerns and issues hindering the transition of dendrimers from research to the clinic are discussed to shed light on their clinical applications.

Antiviral Polymers: A Review

Polymers, due to their high molecular weight, tunable architecture, functionality, and buffering effect for endosomal escape, possess unique properties as a carrier or prophylactic agent in preventing pandemic outbreak of new viruses. Polymers are used as a carrier to reduce the minimum required dose, bioavailability, and therapeutic effectiveness of antiviral agents. Polymers are also used as multifunctional nanomaterials to, directly or indirectly, inhibit viral infections. Multifunctional polymers can interact directly with envelope glycoproteins on the viral surface to block fusion and entry of the virus in the host cell. Polymers can indirectly mobilize the immune system by activating macrophages and natural killer cells against the invading virus. This review covers natural and synthetic polymers that possess antiviral activity, their mechanism of action, and the effect of material properties like chemical composition, molecular weight, functional groups, and charge density on antiviral activity. Natural polymers like carrageenan, chitosan, fucoidan, and phosphorothioate oligonucleotides, and synthetic polymers like dendrimers and sialylated polymers are reviewed. This review discusses the steps in the viral replication cycle from binding to cell surface receptors to viral-cell fusion, replication, assembly, and release of the virus from the host cell that antiviral polymers interfere with to block viral infections.

Dendrimers as Antiamyloid Agents

Dendrimer-protein conjugates have significant prospects for biological applications. The complexation changes the biophysical behavior of both proteins and dendrimers. The dendrimers could influence the secondary structure of proteins, zeta-potential, distribution of charged regions on the surface, the protein-protein interactions, etc. These changes offer significant possibilities for the application of these features in nanotheranostics and biomedicine. Based on the dendrimer-protein interactions, several therapeutic applications of dendrimers have emerged. Thus, the formation of stable complexes retains the disordered proteins on the aggregation, which is especially important in neurodegenerative diseases. To clarify the origin of these properties and assess the efficiency of action, the mechanism of protein-dendrimer interaction and the nature and driving force of binding are considered in this review. The review outlines the antiamyloid activity of dendrimers and discusses the effect of dendrimer structures and external factors on their antiamyloid properties.

An Evaluation of CXCR4 Targeting with PAMAM Dendrimer Conjugates for Oncologic Applications

The chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4) is a promising diagnostic and therapeutic target for the management of various cancers. CXCR4 has been utilized in immunotherapy, targeted drug delivery, and endoradiotherapy. Poly(amidoamine) [PAMAM] dendrimers are well-defined polymers with unique properties that have been used in the fabrication of nanomaterials for several biomedical applications. Here, we describe the formulation and pharmacokinetics of generation-5 CXCR4-targeted PAMAM (G5-X4) dendrimers. G5-X4 demonstrated an IC50 of 0.95 nM to CXCR4 against CXCL12-Red in CHO-SNAP-CXCR4 cells. Single-photon computed tomography/computed tomography imaging and biodistribution studies of 111In-labeled G5-X4 showed enhanced uptake in subcutaneous U87 glioblastoma tumors stably expressing CXCR4 with 8.2 ± 2.1, 8.4 ± 0.5, 11.5 ± 0.9, 10.4 ± 2.6, and 8.8 ± 0.5% injected dose per gram of tissue at 1, 3, 24, 48, and 120 h after injection, respectively. Specific accumulation of [111In]G5-X4 in CXCR4-positive tumors was inhibited by the peptidomimetic CXCR4 inhibitor, POL3026. Our results demonstrate that while CXCR4 targeting is beneficial for tumor accumulation at early time points, differences in tumor uptake are diminished over time as passive accumulation takes place. This study further confirms the applicability of PAMAM dendrimers for imaging and therapeutic applications. It also emphasizes careful consideration of image acquisition and/or treatment times when designing dendritic nanoplatforms for tumor targeting.

Intra-articular drug delivery systems for osteoarthritis therapy: shifting from sustained release to enhancing penetration into cartilage

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive chronic inflammation that leads to cartilage degeneration. OA Patients are commonly given pharmacological treatment, but the available treatments are not sufficiently effective. The development of sustained-release drug delivery systems (DDSs) for OA may be an attractive strategy to prevent rapid drug clearance and improve the half-life of a drug at the joint cavity. Such delivery systems will improve the therapeutic effects of anti-inflammatory effects in the joint cavity. Whereas, for disease-modifying OA drugs (DMOADs) which target chondrocytes or act on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), the cartilage-permeable DDSs are required to maximize their efficacy. This review provides an overview of joint structure in healthy and pathological conditions, introduces the advances of the sustained-release DDSs and the permeable DDSs, and discusses the rational design of the permeable DDSs for OA treatment. We hope that the ideas generated in this review will promote the development of effective OA drugs in the future.

Nano to rescue: repository of nanocarriers for targeted drug delivery to curb breast cancer

Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease with different intrinsic subtypes. The conventional treatment of surgical resection, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy has not shown significant improvement in the survival rate of breast cancer patients. The therapeutics used cause bystander toxicities deteriorating healthy tissues. The breakthroughs of nanotechnology have been a promising feat in selective targeting of tumor site thus increasing the therapeutic gain. By the application of nanoenabled carriers, nanomedicines ensure targeted delivery, stability, enhanced cellular uptake, biocompatibility and higher apoptotic efficacy. The present review focuses on breakthrough of nanoscale intervention in targeted drug delivery as novel class of therapeutics. Nanoenabled carriers like polymeric and metallic nanoparticles, dendrimers, quantum dots, liposomes, solid lipid nanoparticles, carbon nanotubes, drug-antibody conjugates and exosomes revolutionized the targeted therapeutic delivery approach. These nanoassemblies have shown additional effect of improving the solubility of drugs such as paclitaxel, reducing the dose and toxicity. The present review provides an insight on the different drug conjugates employed/investigated to curb breast cancer using nanocarrier mediated targeted drug delivery. However, identification of appropriate biomarkers to target, clearer insight of the biological processes, batch uniformity, reproducibility, nanomaterial toxicity and stabilities are the hurdles faced by nanodrugs. The potential of nano-therapeutics delivery necessitates the agglomerated efforts of research community to bridge the route of nanodrugs for scale-up, commercialization and clinical applications.

Nanoscale Drug Delivery Systems in Glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most aggressive cerebral tumor in adults. However, the current pharmaceuticals in GBM treatment are mainly restricted to few chemotherapeutic drugs and have limited efficacy. Therefore, various nanoscale biomaterials that possess distinct structure and unique property were constructed as vehicles to precisely deliver molecules with potential therapeutic effect. In this review, nanoparticle drug delivery systems including CNTs, GBNs, C-dots, MOFs, Liposomes, MSNs, GNPs, PMs, Dendrimers and Nanogel were exemplified. The advantages and disadvantages of these nanoparticles in GBM treatment were illustrated.

Combining nanotechnology with the multifunctional roles of neutrophils against cancer and inflammatory disease

Neutrophils, the most abundant leukocytes in humans, play a crucial role in acute inflammation during infection and tumorigenesis. Neutrophils are the major types of cells recruited to the inflammation sites induced by pathogens, exhibiting great homing ability towards inflammatory disorders and tumor sites. Therefore, a neutrophil-based drug delivery system (NDDS) has become a promising platform for anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory treatment. Recent decades have witnessed the huge progress of applying nanomaterials in drug delivery. Nanomaterials are regarded as innovative components to enrich the field of neutrophil-based therapies due to their unique physiochemical characteristics. In this review, the latest advancement of combining diverse nanomaterials with an NDDS for cancer and inflammatory disease treatment will be summarized. It is discussed how nanomaterials empower the therapeutic area of an NDDS and how an NDDS circumvents the limitations of nanomaterials. Moreover, based on the finding that neutrophils are closely involved in the progression of cancer and inflammatory diseases, emerging therapeutic strategies that target neutrophils will be outlined. Finally, as neutrophils were demonstrated to play a central role in the immunopathology of COVID-19, which causes necroinflammation that is responsible for the cytokine storm and sepsis during coronavirus infections, novel therapeutic approaches that anchor neutrophils against the pathological consequences related to COVID-19 will be highlighted as well.

Targeted drug delivery vehicles mediated by nanocarriers and aptamers for posterior eye disease therapeutics: barriers, recent advances and potential opportunities

Nanomedicine and aptamer have excellent potential in giving play to passive and active targeting respectively, which are considered to be effective strategies in the retro-ocular drug delivery system. The presence of closely adjoined tissue structures in the eye makes it difficult to administer the drug in the posterior segment of the eye. The application of nanomedicine could represent a new avenue for the treatment, since it could improve penetration, achieve targeted release, and improve bioavailability. Additionally, a novel type of targeted molecule aptamer with identical objective was proposed. As an emerging molecule, aptamer shows the advantages of penetration, non-toxicity, and high biocompatibility, which make it suitable for ocular drug administration. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the recent studies on the effectiveness of nanoparticles as a drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye. This paper also creatively looks forward to the possibility of the combined application of nanocarriers and aptamers as a new method of targeted drug delivery system in the field of post-ophthalmic therapy.

Investigating the properties of L-lysine dendrimers through physico-chemical characterisation techniques and atomistic molecular dynamics simulations

Poly(L-lysine) (PLL) dendrimers up to generation 6, both as their ammonium trifluoroacetate salts and their boc-protected intermediates were characterised using multi-detector size exclusion chromatography (MD-SEC) and Taylor dispersion analysis (TDA)...

Progress on the Application of Bortezomib and Bortezomib-Based Nanoformulations

Bortezomib (BTZ) is the first proteasome inhibitor approved by the Food and Drug Administration. It can bind to the amino acid residues of the 26S proteasome, thereby causing the death of tumor cells. BTZ plays an irreplaceable role in the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Moreover, its use in the treatment of other hematological cancers and solid tumors has been investigated in numerous clinical trials and preclinical studies. Nevertheless, the applications of BTZ are limited due to its insufficient specificity, poor permeability, and low bioavailability. Therefore, in recent years, different BTZ-based drug delivery systems have been evaluated. In this review, we firstly discussed the functions of proteasome inhibitors and their mechanisms of action. Secondly, the properties of BTZ, as well as recent advances in both clinical and preclinical research, were reviewed. Finally, progress in research regarding BTZ-based nanoformulations was summarized.

Nano Drug Delivery Platforms for Dental Application: Infection Control and TMJ Management-A Review

The oral cavity is an intricate environment subjected to various chemical, physical, and thermal injuries. The effectiveness of the local and systemically administered drugs is limited mainly due to their toxicities and poor oral bioavailability that leads to the limited effectiveness of the drugs in the target tissues. To address these issues, nanoparticle drug delivery systems based on metals, liposomes, polymeric particles, and core shells have been developed in recent years. Nano drug delivery systems have applications in the treatment of patients suffering from temporomandibular joint disorders such as preventing degeneration of cartilage in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis and alleviating the pain along with it. The antibacterial dental applications of nano-drug delivery systems such as silver and copper-based nanoparticles include these agents used to arrest dental caries, multiple steps in root canal treatment, and patients suffering from periodontitis. Nanoparticles have been used in adjunct with antifungals to treat oral fungal infections such as candida albicans in denture wearers. Acyclovir being the most commonly used antiviral has been used in combination with nanoparticles against an array of viral infections such as the herpes simplex virus. Nanoparticles based combination agents offer more favorable drug release in a controlled manner along with efficient delivery at the site of action. This review presents an updated overview of the recently developed nanoparticles delivery systems for the management of temporomandibular joint disorders along with the treatment of different oral infections.

Embracing nanomaterials' interactions with the innate immune system

Immunotherapy has firmly established itself as a compelling avenue for treating disease. Although many clinically approved immunotherapeutics engage the adaptive immune system, therapeutically targeting the innate immune system remains much less explored. Nanomedicine offers a compelling opportunity for innate immune system engagement, as many nanomaterials inherently interact with myeloid cells (e.g., monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells) or can be functionalized to target their cell-surface receptors. Here, we provide a perspective on exploiting nanomaterials for innate immune system regulation. We focus on specific nanomaterial design parameters, including size, form, rigidity, charge, and surface decoration. Furthermore, we examine the potential of high-throughput screening and machine learning, while also providing recommendations for advancing the field. This article is categorized under: Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Oncologic Disease.

Comprehensive review on ultrasound-responsive theranostic nanomaterials: mechanisms, structures and medical applications

The field of theranostics has been rapidly growing in recent years and nanotechnology has played a major role in this growth. Nanomaterials can be constructed to respond to a variety of different stimuli which can be internal (enzyme activity, redox potential, pH changes, temperature changes) or external (light, heat, magnetic fields, ultrasound). Theranostic nanomaterials can respond by producing an imaging signal and/or a therapeutic effect, which frequently involves cell death. Since ultrasound (US) is already well established as a clinical imaging modality, it is attractive to combine it with rationally designed nanoparticles for theranostics. The mechanisms of US interactions include cavitation microbubbles (MBs), acoustic droplet vaporization, acoustic radiation force, localized thermal effects, reactive oxygen species generation, sonoluminescence, and sonoporation. These effects can result in the release of encapsulated drugs or genes at the site of interest as well as cell death and considerable image enhancement. The present review discusses US-responsive theranostic nanomaterials under the following categories: MBs, micelles, liposomes (conventional and echogenic), niosomes, nanoemulsions, polymeric nanoparticles, chitosan nanocapsules, dendrimers, hydrogels, nanogels, gold nanoparticles, titania nanostructures, carbon nanostructures, mesoporous silica nanoparticles, fuel-free nano/micromotors.

Nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems as promising carriers for patients with COVID-19

Once the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 outbreak to be pandemic, massive efforts have been launched by researchers around the globe to combat this emerging infectious disease. Here we review the most recent data on the novel SARS-CoV-2 pathogen. We analyzed its etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, and current medications. After that, we summarized the promising drug delivery application of nanomaterial-based systems. Their preparation routes, unique advantages over the traditional drug delivery routes and their toxicity though risk analysis were also covered. We also discussed in detail the mechanism of action for one example of drug-loaded nanomaterial drug delivery systems (Avigan-contained nano-emulsions). This review provides insights about employing nanomaterial-based drug delivery systems for the treatment of COVID-19 to increase the bioavailability of current drugs, reducing their toxicity, and to increase their efficiency.

Clinical diagonal translation of nanoparticles: Case studies in dendrimer nanomedicine

Among the numerous nanomedicine formulations, dendrimers have emerged as original, efficient, carefully assembled, hyperbranched, polymeric nanoparticles based on synthetic monomers. Dendrimers are used either as nanocarriers of drugs or as drugs themselves. When used as drug carriers, dendrimers are considered 'best-in-class agents', modifying and enhancing the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of the active entities encapsulated or conjugated with the dendrimers. When used as drugs themselves, dendrimers represent a novel category of "first-in-class" drugs. The purpose of this original review is to analyse the different strategies involved in the development, application, and impact of dendrimers as drugs. We examine a selection of nanoparticles that use multifunctional elements and demonstrate clinical multifunctionality, and we extend these principles to applications in dendrimer nanomedicine design. Finally, for practical consideration, the concepts of vertical and diagonal translation are introduced as potential strategies to facilitate dendrimer development.

Nanotechnology Integration for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis and Treatment: An Approach to Preventing Pandemic

The SARS-CoV-2 outbreak is the COVID-19 disease, which has caused massive health devastation, prompting the World Health Organization to declare a worldwide health emergency. The corona virus infected millions of people worldwide, and many died as a result of a lack of particular medications. The current emergency necessitates extensive therapy in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus. There are various vaccinations available, but no validated COVID-19 treatments. Since its outbreak, many therapeutics have been tested, including the use of repurposed medications, nucleoside inhibitors, protease inhibitors, broad spectrum antivirals, convalescence plasma therapies, immune-modulators, and monoclonal antibodies. However, these approaches have not yielded any outcomes and are mostly used to alleviate symptoms associated with potentially fatal adverse drug reactions. Nanoparticles, on the other hand, may prove to be an effective treatment for COVID-19. They can be designed to boost the efficacy of currently available antiviral medications or to trigger a rapid immune response against COVID-19. In the last decade, there has been significant progress in nanotechnology. This review focuses on the virus's basic structure, pathogenesis, and current treatment options for COVID-19. This study addresses nanotechnology and its applications in diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and targeted vaccine delivery, laying the groundwork for a successful pandemic fight.

Nanoparticles in nanomedicine: a comprehensive updated review on current status, challenges and emerging opportunities

The fast progress in nanomedicine and nanoparticles (NP) materials presents unconventional solutions which are expected to revolutionise health care with great potentials including, enhanced efficacy, bioavailability, drug targeting, and safety. This review provides a comprehensive update on widely used organic and inorganic NP with emphasis on the recent development, challenges and future prospective for bio applications where, further investigations into innovative synthesis methodologies, properties and applications of NP would possibly reveal new improved biomedical relevance. NP exhibits exceptional physical and chemical properties due to their high surface area to volume ratio and nanoscale size, which led to breakthroughs in therapeutic, diagnostic and screening techniques repeated line. Finally, an update of FDA-approved NP is explored where innovative design engineering allowed a paradigmatic shift in their market share. This review would serve as a discerning comprehensive source of information for learners who are seeking a cutting-edge review but have been astounded by the size of publications.

First-in-Class Phosphorus Dendritic Framework, a Wide Surface Functional Group Palette Bringing Noteworthy Anti-Cancer and Anti-Tuberculosis Activities: What Lessons to Learn?

Based on phenotypic screening, the major advantages of phosphorus dendrimers and dendrons as drugs allowed the discovery of new therapeutic applications, for instance, as anti-cancer and anti-tuberculosis agents. These biological activities depend on the nature of the chemical groups (neutral or cationic) on their surface as well as their generation. As lessons to learn, in the oncology domain, the increase in the generation of metallo-dendrimers is in the same direction as the anti-proliferative activities, in contrast to the development of polycationic dendrimers, where the most potent anti-tuberculosis phosphorus dendrimer was observed to have the lowest generation (G0). The examples presented in this original analysis of phosphorus dendrimers and dendrons provide support for the lessons learned and for the development of new nanoparticles in nanomedicine.

Developments in Treatment Methodologies Using Dendrimers for Infectious Diseases

Dendrimers comprise a specific group of macromolecules, which combine structural properties of both single molecules and long expanded polymers. The three-dimensional form of dendrimers and the extensive possibilities for use of additional substrates for their construction creates a multivalent potential and a wide possibility for medical, diagnostic and environmental purposes. Depending on their composition and structure, dendrimers have been of interest in many fields of science, ranging from chemistry, biotechnology to biochemical applications. These compounds have found wide application from the production of catalysts for their use as antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agents. Of particular interest are peptide dendrimers as a medium for transport of therapeutic substances: synthetic vaccines against parasites, bacteria and viruses, contrast agents used in MRI, antibodies and genetic material. This review focuses on the description of the current classes of dendrimers, the methodology for their synthesis and briefly drawbacks of their properties and their use as potential therapies against infectious diseases.

Inorganic Nanoparticles Applied for Active Targeted Photodynamic Therapy of Breast Cancer

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an alternative modality to conventional cancer treatment, whereby a specific wavelength of light is applied to a targeted tumor, which has either a photosensitizer or photochemotherapeutic agent localized within it. This light activates the photosensitizer in the presence of molecular oxygen to produce phototoxic species, which in turn obliterate cancer cells. The incidence rate of breast cancer (BC) is regularly growing among women, which are currently being treated with methods, such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery. These conventional treatment methods are invasive and often produce unwanted side effects, whereas PDT is more specific and localized method of cancer treatment. The utilization of nanoparticles in PDT has shown great advantages compared to free photosensitizers in terms of solubility, early degradation, and biodistribution, as well as far more effective intercellular penetration and uptake in targeted cancer cells. This review gives an overview of the use of inorganic nanoparticles (NPs), including: gold, magnetic, carbon-based, ceramic, and up-conversion NPs, as well as quantum dots in PDT over the last 10 years (2009 to 2019), with a particular focus on the active targeting strategies for the PDT treatment of BC.

Facile Synthesis of Amphiphilic Fluorescent Phosphorus Dendron-Based Micelles as Antiproliferative Agents: First Investigations

We designed and synthesized several families of novel amphiphilic fluorescent phosphorus dendron-based micelles showing relevant antiproliferative activities for use in the field of theranostic nanomedicine. Based on straightforward synthesis pathways, 12 amphiphilic phosphorus dendrons bearing 10 protonated cyclic amino groups (generation one), or 20 protonated amino groups (generation two), and 1 hydrophobic chain carrying 1 fluorophore moiety were created. The amphiphilic dendron micelles had the capacity to aggregate in solution using hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions, which promoted the formation of polymeric micelles. These dendron-based micelles showed moderate to high antiproliferative activities against a panel of tumor cell lines. This paper presents for the first time the synthesis and our first investigations of new phosphorus dendron-based micelles for cancer therapy applications.

Application of Nanotechnology in the COVID-19 Pandemic

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has been prevalent worldwide for almost a year. In early 2000, there was an outbreak of SARS-CoV, and in early 2010, a similar dissemination of infection by MERS-CoV occurred. However, no clear explanation for the spread of SARS-CoV-2 and a massive increase in the number of infections has yet been proposed. The best solution to overcome this pandemic is the development of suitable and effective vaccines and therapeutics. Fortunately, for SARS-CoV-2, the genome sequence and protein structure have been published in a short period, making research and development for prevention and treatment relatively easy. In addition, intranasal drug delivery has proven to be an effective method of administration for treating viral lung diseases. In recent years, nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems have been applied to intranasal drug delivery to overcome various limitations that occur during mucosal administration, and advances have been made to the stage where effective drug delivery is possible. This review describes the accumulated knowledge of the previous SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections and aims to help understand the newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 infection. Furthermore, it elucidates the achievements in developing COVID-19 vaccines and therapeutics to date through existing approaches. Finally, the applicable nanotechnology approach is described in detail, and vaccines and therapeutic drugs developed based on nanomedicine, which are currently undergoing clinical trials, have presented the potential to become innovative alternatives for overcoming COVID-19.

Molecular Modelling Guided Modulation of Molecular Shape and Charge for Design of Smart Self-Assembled Polymeric Drug Transporters

Nanomedicine employs molecular materials for prevention and treatment of disease. Recently, smart nanoparticle (NP)-based drug delivery systems were developed for the advanced transport of drug molecules. Rationally engineered organic and inorganic NP platforms hold the promise of improving drug targeting, solubility, prolonged circulation, and tissue penetration. However, despite great progress in the synthesis of NP building blocks, more interdisciplinary research is needed to understand their self-assembly and optimize their performance as smart nanocarriers. Multi-scale modeling and simulations provide a valuable ally to experiment by mapping the potential energy landscape of self-assembly, translocation, and delivery of smart drug-loaded NPs. Here, we highlight key recent advances to illustrate the concepts, methods, and applications of smart polymer-based NP drug delivery. We summarize the key design principles emerging for advanced multifunctional polymer topologies, illustrating how the unusual architecture and chemistry of dendritic polymers, self-assembling polyelectrolytes and cyclic polymers can provide exceptional drug delivery platforms. We provide a roadmap outlining the opportunities and challenges for the effective use of predictive multiscale molecular modeling techniques to accelerate the development of smart polymer-based drug delivery systems.

Dendritic Macromolecular Architectures: Dendrimer-Based Polyion Complex Micelles

Polymeric micelles are nanoassemblies that are formed by spontaneous arrangement of amphiphilic block copolymers in aqueous solutions at critical micelle concentration (CMC). They represent an effective system for drug delivery of, for instance, poorly water-soluble anticancer drugs. Then, the development of polyion complexes (PICs) were emphasized. The morphology of these complexes depends on the topology of the polyelectrolytes used and the way they are assembled. For instance, ionic-hydrophilic block copolymers have been used for the preparation of PIC micelles. The main limitation in the use of PIC micelles is their potential instability during the self-assembly/disassembly processes, influenced by several parameters, such as polyelectrolyte concentration, deionization associated with pH, ionic strength due to salt medium effects, mixing ratio, and PIC particle cross-linking. To overcome these issues, the preparation of stable PIC micelles by increasing the rigidity of their dendritic architecture by the introduction of dendrimers and controlling their number within micelle scaffold was highlighted. In this original concise Review, we will describe the preparation, molecular characteristics, and pharmacological profile of these stable nanoassemblies.