A Reflection on the Mechanism of the Role of Nanoparticles in Increasing the Efficacy of Anti-tumour Properties of Docetaxel

Injectable dual thermoreversible hydrogel for sustained intramuscular drug delivery

Herein, we reported novel docetaxel-decorated solid lipid nanoparticle (DCT-SLN)-loaded dual thermoreversible system (DCT-DRTS) for intramuscular administration with reduced burst effect, sustained release and improved antitumor efficacy. The optimized DCT-DRTs was subjected to in-vitro and in-vivo analyses. Antitumor evaluation of the DCT-DRTS was executed and compared with DCT-hydrogel, and DCT-suspension trailed by the histopathological and immune-histochemical analyses. The DCT-SLN gave a mean particle size of 157 nm and entrapment efficiency of 93 %. It was a solid at room temperature, and changed to liquid at physiological temperature due to its melting point of about 32 °C. Unlikely, poloxamer mixture remained liquefied at 25-27 °C, however converted to gel at physiological temperature. This behavior demonstrated opposed reversible property of the DCT-SLN and poloxamer hydrogel in DCT-DRTS system, making it ideal for intramuscular administration and quick gelation inside the body. The DCT-DRTS sustained the drugs release and unlike DCT-hydrogel, the preliminary plasma concentration of DCT-DRTS was significantly reduced, overcoming the burst release. A meaningfully enhanced antitumor efficacy and improved survival rate was observed from DCT-DRTS in tumor cell xenograft athymic nude mice. Additionally, increased apoptotic and reduced proliferation markers were observed in DCT-DRTS treated tumor masses. It was concluded that DCT-DRTS may be a suitable choice for intramuscular administration of DCT with sustained release, improved bioavailability, reduced toxicity and enhanced antitumor effects.

Cubosomes: An Emerging and Promising Drug Delivery System for Enhancing Cancer Therapy

Cancer and other diseases can be treated with cubosomes, which are lyotropic nonlamellar liquid crystalline nanoparticles (LCNs). These cubosomes can potentially be a highly versatile carrier with theranostic efficacy, as they can be ingested, applied topically, or injected intravenously. Recent years have seen substantial progress in the synthesis, characterization, regulation of drug release patterns, and target selectivity of loaded anticancer bioactive compounds. However, its use in clinical settings has been slow and necessitates additional proof. Recent progress and roadblocks in using cubosomes as a nanotechnological intervention against various cancers are highlighted. In the last few decades, advances in biomedical nanotechnology have allowed for the development of "smart" drug delivery devices that can adapt to external stimuli. By improving therapeutic targeting efficacy and lowering the negative effects of payloads, these well-defined nanoplatforms can potentially promote patient compliance in response to specific stimuli. Liposomes and niosomes, two other well-known vesicular systems, share a lipid basis with cubosomes. Possible applications include a novel medication delivery system for hydrophilic, lipophilic, and amphiphilic drugs. We evaluate the literature on cubosomes, emphasizing their potential use in tumor-targeted drug delivery applications and critiquing existing explanations for cubosome self-assembly, composition, and production. As cubosome dispersion has bioadhesive and compatible features, numerous drug delivery applications, including oral, ocular, and transdermal, are also discussed in this review.

Cytotoxic, apoptotic, and genetic evaluations of Nigella sativa essential oil nanoemulsion against human hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines

Background

Phytochemicals and plant extracts are showing promising anticancer potentials. In the current study, the volatile faction (essential oil) of Nigella sativa seeds was evaluated against some hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The essential oil was extracted and characterized by chromatographic techniques to reveal its chemical composition, especially thymoquinone. Then, the oil was fabricated in two nanoemulsion formulations (F1 and F2), which differ in their composition of surfactants. The cytotoxicity and apoptotic activities of the essential oil and its nanoemulsions were evaluated in vitro against HepG2 and Huh-7 cell lines. Normal WI-38 cell line was also included in that evaluation to study the selectivity and safety of the different formulations on normal cells.

Results

Gas chromatographic analysis indicated that the essential oil is composed mainly of p-cymene (40.0%), thymoquinone (31.2%) and trans-α-thujene (12.8%). Particle size of the nanoemulsions ranged between 9.4 and 119.7 nm depending on the type of surfactant used in the formulation process. The pure essential oil and its two nanoemulsions (F1 and F2) showed dose-dependent antiproliferative activity against both HCC cells. This activity reached its highest cell inhibition in the case of nanoemulsion (F2) where the proliferation percentage was only 21.9% and 9.2% against HepG2 and Huh-7 cells, respectively. The same nanoemulsion (F2) also showed the lowest IC50 values (55.7 and 35.5 µg/ml) against both HepG2 and Huh-7 cells, respectively, compared to 100 µg/ml for the reference drug Doxorubicin. Flow cytometric analysis also confirmed that nanoemulsion (F2) has the highest apoptotic activity compared to nanoemulsion (F1) and the pure unformulated essential oil. Genetic expressions of pro-apoptotic (Bax) and the anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2) gene markers evaluation revealed that nanoemulsion (F2) has better activity in upregulating (Bax) and down-regulate (Bcl-2) with the highest Bax/Bcl-2 ratio (69) was found against Huh-7 cells. All N. sativa nanoemulsions showed minimal cytotoxicity on the normal WI-38 cell, indicating wide safety margins due to selective properties.

Conclusion

Overall, the study revealed the potentials of N. sativa essential oil, after formulation in specially tailored nanoemulsion for application as potential adjuvant liver anticancer agent.

Graphical Abstract