Synthesis and application of magnetite dextran-spermine nanoparticles in breast cancer hyperthermia

Biodistribution and Tumor Targeted Accumulation of Anti-CEA-loaded Iron Nanoparticles

INTRODUCTION

Active targeting of tumors by nanomaterials favors early diagnosis and the reduction of harsh side effects of chemotherapeuticals.

METHODS

We synthesized magnetic nanoparticles (64 nm; -40 mV) suspended in a magnetic fluid (MF) and decorated them with anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (MFCEA; 144 nm; -39 mV). MF and MFCEA nanoparticles were successfully radiolabeled with technetium-99m (99mTc) and intravenously injected in CEA-positive 4T1 tumor-bearing mice to perform biodistribution studies. Both 99mTc-MF and 99mTc-MFCEA had marked uptake by the liver and spleen, and the renal uptake of 99mTc-MFCEA was higher than that observed for 99mTc-MF at 20h. At 1 and 5 hours, the urinary excretion was higher for 99mTc-MF than for 99mTc-MFCEA.

RESULTS

These data suggest that anti-CEA decoration might be responsible for a delay in renal clearance. Regarding the tumor, 99mTc-MFCEA showed tumor uptake nearly two times higher than that observed for 99mTc-MFCEA. Similarly, the target-nontarget ratio was higher with 99mTc-MFCEA when compared to the group that received the 99mTc-MF.

CONCLUSION

These data validated the ability of active tumor targeting by the as-developed anti- CEA loaded nanoparticles and are very promising results for the future development of a nanodevice for the management of breast cancer and other types of CEA-positive tumors.

How Do Cyclodextrins and Dextrans Affect the Gut Microbiome? Review of Prebiotic Activity

The modulation of the gut microbiome through dietary components has garnered significant attention for its potential health benefits. Prebiotics, non-digestible food ingredients that promote the growth of beneficial gut bacteria, play a crucial role in maintaining gut health, enhancing immune function, and potentially preventing various metabolic and inflammatory disorders. This review explores the prebiotic activity of cyclodextrins and dextrans, focusing on their ability to influence gut microbiota composition and function. Both cyclodextrins and dextrans have demonstrated the capacity to promote the growth of beneficial bacterial populations, while also impacting short-chain fatty acid production, crucial for gut health.

New insights into polysaccharide-based nanostructured delivery systems in breast cancer: Possible application of antisense oligonucleotides in breast cancer therapy

The lack of more effective therapies for breast cancer has enhanced mortality among breast cancer patients. Recent efforts have established efficient treatments to reduce breast cancer-related deaths. The ever-increasing attraction to employing biocompatible polysaccharide-based nanostructures as delivery systems has created interest in various disease therapies, especially breast cancer treatment. A wide range of therapeutic cargo comprising bioactive or chemical drugs, oligonucleotides, peptides, and targeted biomarkers have been considered to comprehend their anti-cancer effects against breast cancer. Some limitations of naked agents or undesired constructs, such as no or low bioavailability, enzymatic digestion, short-range stability, low-cellular uptake, poor solubility, and low surface area, have lessened their effectiveness. However, nanoscale formulations of therapeutic ingredients have provided a promising platform to address the mentioned concerns. For instance, some capable polysaccharides, including cellulose, pectin, chitosan, alginate, and dextran, were developed as breast cancer therapeutics with great nanoparticle structures. This review carefully examines the characteristics of beneficial polysaccharides that are utilized in the formation of nanoparticles (NPs). It also highlights the applications of antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), and NPs made from polysaccharides in the treatment of breast cancer and suggests ways to enhance these particles for future research.

Preparation and evaluation of the PD0721‑DOX antibody‑drug conjugate targeting EGFRvIII to inhibit glioblastoma

Epidermal growth factor receptor variant III (EGFRvIII) is prominently expressed in various epithelial tumors. PD0721, a single-chain antibody (scFv), has been developed to specifically target EGFRvIII. Although doxorubicin (DOX) is an essential treatment approach for glioblastoma (GBM), its toxic effects and limited targeting capabilities are a challenge. To overcome the above limitations, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) have been developed to exploit the specificity of monoclonal antibodies in directing potent cytotoxic drugs to tumor cells expressing the target antigens. The present study aimed to conjugate DOX with PD0721 scFv to construct a PD0721-DOX ADC targeting EGFRvIII and examine its targeting effect and in vitro anti-GBM activity. PD0721-DOX ADC was generated by combining PD0721 scFv with DOX, using dextran T-10 as a linker. The drug-to-antibody ratio (DAR) was measured by ultraviolet and visible spectrophotometry (UV-Vis). A series of techniques, including cytotoxicity assays, immunofluorescence, cell internalization and flow cytometry assays were employed to evaluate the targeting efficacy and anti-GBM activity of the PD0721-DOX ADC. Following the conjugation of PD0721 scFv with DOX, the UV-Vis results showed a noticeable red shift in the maximum absorbance. The DAR of PD0721 scFv and DOX was 9.23:1. Cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that DK-MG cells treatment with PD0721-DOX ADC at 10 and 20 µg/ml significantly increased cytotoxicity compared with U-87MG ATCC cells (all P<0.01). Confocal microscopy revealed distinct green and red fluorescence in EGFRvIII-expressing DK-MG cells, while no fluorescence was observed in EGFRvIII negative U-87MG ATCC cells. Furthermore, compared with U-87MG ATCC cells, DK-MG cells showed effective internalization of the PD0721-DOX ADC (P<0.001). Finally, flow cytometric analyses indicated that the PD0721-DOX ADC significantly promoted the apoptosis of DK-MG cells compared with U-87MG ATCC cells (P<0.01). In summary, the current study suggested that the PD0721-DOX ADC could exhibit a notable targeting efficacy and potent anti-GBM activity.

Carbon Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications: Progress and Outlook

Recent developments in nanoscale materials have found extensive use in various fields, especially in the biomedical industry. Several substantial obstacles must be overcome, particularly those related to nanostructured materials in biomedicine, before they can be used in therapeutic applications. Significant concerns in biomedicine include biological processes, adaptability, toxic effects, and nano-biointerfacial properties. Biomedical researchers have difficulty choosing suitable materials for drug carriers, cancer treatment, and antiviral uses. Carbon nanomaterials are among the various nanoparticle forms that are continually receiving interest for biomedical applications. They are suitable materials owing to their distinctive physical and chemical properties, such as electrical, high-temperature, mechanical, and optical diversification. An individualized, controlled, dependable, low-carcinogenic, target-specific drug delivery system can diagnose and treat infections in biomedical applications. The variety of carbon materials at the nanoscale is remarkable. Allotropes and other forms of the same element, carbon, are represented in nanoscale dimensions. These show promise for a wide range of applications. Carbon nanostructured materials with exceptional mechanical, electrical, and thermal properties include graphene and carbon nanotubes. They can potentially revolutionize industries, including electronics, energy, and medicine. Ongoing investigation and expansion efforts continue to unlock possibilities for these materials, making them a key player in shaping the future of advanced technology. Carbon nanostructured materials explore the potential positive effects of reducing the greenhouse effect. The current state of nanostructured materials in the biomedical sector is covered in this review, along with their synthesis techniques and potential uses.

Advancement in magnetic hyperthermia-based targeted therapy for cancer treatment

Magnetic hyperthermia utilizing magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) and an alternating magnetic field (AMF) represents a promising approach in the field of cancer treatment. Active targeting has emerged as a valuable strategy to enhance the effectiveness and specificity of drug delivery. Active targeting utilizes specific biomarkers that are predominantly found in abundance on cancer cells while being minimally expressed on healthy cells. Current comprehensive review provides an overview of several cancer-specific biomarkers, including human epidermal growth factor, transferrin, folate, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, integrin, cluster of differentiation (CD) receptors such as CD90, CD95, CD133, CD20, and CD44 also CXCR4 and vascular endothelial growth factor, these biomarkers bind to ligands present on the surface of MNPs, enabling precise targeting. Additionally, this review touches various combination therapies employed to combat cancer. Magnetic hyperthermia synergistically enhances the efficacy of conventional cancer treatments such as targeted chemotherapy, radiation therapy, gene therapy, and immunotherapy.

Advancements in dextran-based nanocarriers for treatment and imaging of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most prevalent type of cancer worldwide,particularly among women, with substantial side effects after therapy. Despite the availability of numerous therapeutic approaches, particularly chemotherapy, the survival rates for breast cancer have declined over time. The therapies currently utilized for breast cancer treatment do not specifically target cancerous cells, resulting in significant adverse effects and potential harm to healthy cells alongside the cancer cells. As a result, nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems have emerged. Among various types of nanoparticles, natural polysaccharide-based nanoparticles have gained significant attention due to their ability to precisely control the drug release and achieve targeted drug delivery. Moreover, polysaccharides are biocompatible, biodegradable, easily modifiable, and renewable, which makes them a unique material for nanoformulation. In recent years, dextran and its derivatives have gained much interest in the field of breast cancer therapy. Dextran is a hydrophilic polysaccharide composed of a main chain formed by α-1,6 linked glucopyranoside residues and a side chain composed of residues linked in α-1,2/3/4 positions. Different dextran-antitumor medication conjugates enhancethe efficacy of anticancer agents. With this context, the present review provides brief insights into dextran and its modification. Further, it meticulously discusses the role of dextran-based nanoparticles in breast cancer therapy and imaging, followed by snippets on their toxicity. Lastly, it presents clinical trials and future perspectives of dextran-based nanoparticles in breast cancer treatment.

Evaluating the applications and effectiveness of magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia for cancer treatment: A systematic review

Magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia as a new cancer treatment technology has been applied for some kinds of tumors. To review the different applications and effectiveness of this new cancer treatment technique, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases were explored up to November 2022, using the following keywords combined in different ways: "Magnetic Nanoparticles Based Hyperthermia", "Magnetic Nanoparticles" AND "Hyperthermia" AND "Cancer". The obtained results were screened for the title and abstract and the relevant papers were reviewed for further details. Finally, 24 papers were included in the study. These papers have evaluated the application of magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia for treating different cancers including breast, liver, prostate, pancreas, colon, brain, lung, and stem cell. Various nanoparticles including Iron Oxide (Fe₂O₃, Fe₃O₄), Dextran Spermine, Iron Chloride, Magnetic nanoparticles conjugated with Liposomes (MCLs), and Variable Molecular Weight Nanoparticles (VMWNPs) were used in different reviewed studies. The results of reviewed studies revealed that the nanoparticle-based hyperthermia technique as a new progressive modality can significantly improve treatment outcomes for some special cancers. Increasing life expectancy by up to 30% using Iron Oxide magnetic nanoparticle-based hyperthermia for pancreatic cancer and increasing tumor ablation by about 33% for other cancers were reported in reviewed articles. However, further studies are required to extend this new treatment technique to other cancers and for providing more accurate information on nanoparticle-based hyperthermia's effectiveness as a complementary technique in cancer treatment.

Natural resources for sustainable synthesis of nanomaterials with anticancer applications: A move toward green nanomedicine

Today, researchers have focused on the application of environmentally-benign and sustainable micro- and nanosystems for drug delivery and cancer therapy. Compared to conventional chemotherapeutics, advanced micro- and nanosystems designed by applying abundant, natural, and renewable feedstocks have shown biodegradability, biocompatibility, and low toxicity advantages. However, important aspects of toxicological assessments, clinical translational studies, and suitable functionalization/modification still need to be addressed. Herein, the benefits and challenges of green nanomedicine in cancer nanotherapy and targeted drug delivery are cogitated using nanomaterials designed by exploiting natural and renewable resources. The application of nanomaterials accessed from renewable natural resources, comprising metallic nanomaterials, carbon-based nanomaterials, metal-organic frameworks, natural-derived nanomaterials, etc. for targeted anticancer drug delivery and cancer nanotherapy are deliberated, with emphasis on important limitations/challenges and future perspectives.

Nanocarriers for anticancer drugs: Challenges and perspectives

Cancer is the second most common cause of death globally, surpassed only by cardiovascular disease. One of the hallmarks of cancer is uncontrolled cell division and resistance to cell death. Multiple approaches have been developed to tackle this disease, including surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Although chemotherapy is used primarily to control cell division and induce cell death, some cancer cells are able to resist apoptosis and develop tolerance to these drugs. The side effects of chemotherapy are often overwhelming, and patients can experience more adverse effects than benefits. Furthermore, the bioavailability and stability of drugs used for chemotherapy are crucial issues that must be addressed, and there is therefore a high demand for a reliable delivery system that ensures fast and accurate targeting of treatment. In this review, we discuss the different types of nanocarriers, their properties and recent advances in formulations, with respect to relevant advantages and disadvantages of each.

TPGS2000-DOX Prodrug Micelles for Improving Breast Cancer Therapy

Background

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline antibiotic that inhibits the growth of several solid and hematologic malignant tumors. Increasing the targeting ability of DOX and reducing the multi-drug resistance (MDR) of tumor cells to DOX are major aims for researchers.

Purpose

In this study, to increase therapeutic efficiency, reduce the side effects and the MDR of tumor cells to DOX, D-alpha-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 2000 succinate monoester (TPGS2000)-DOX prodrug micelles were developed by grafting DOX to TPGS2000 via an amide bond that release DOX in the slightly acidic conditions in tumor tissue.

Materials and Methods

The TPGS2000-DOX micelles were constructed using polyethylene glycol 12-hydroxy stearate (Solutol HS15) as the carrier. The in vitro drug release profile and dilution stability of the nanomicelles were determined. The in vitro cytotoxicity and distribution of the nanomicelles in the tumor cells were also investigated. Moreover, we explored the therapeutic outcomes using the MCF-7/ADR tumor-bearing murine model.

Results

The average particle size was approximately 30 nm with a narrow distribution, which was conducive for solid tumor accumulation. The results of in vivo imaging and in vitro cellular uptake assays demonstrated that the TPGS2000-DOX micelles increased the tumor-targeting ability and cellular uptake of DOX. The anticancer potential of TPGS2000-DOX micelles was higher than that of DOX, as revealed by in vitro cytotoxic assays with MCF-7/ADR cells and in vivo antitumor assays with MCF-7 tumor-bearing nude mice.

Conclusion

TPGS2000-DOX prodrug micelles reverse the MDR of tumor cells, achieve passive targeting by forming nanomicelles, and subsequently enhance the efficacy and reduce the toxicity of DOX.

Citric acid coated ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles conjugated with lactoferrin for targeted negative MR imaging of glioma

The proposed study was to develop the preparation of ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPIONs) modified with citric acid, with surface conjugated with lactoferrin (Lf), which used as a potential targeted contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain glioma. USPIONs were prepared by the thermal decomposition method. The hydrophobic USPIONs were coated with citric acid by the ligand exchange method. Then, Lf was conjugated into the surface of USPIONs. The obtained Lf-USPIONs were analyzed by fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The size, size distribution, shape and superparamagnetic property of Lf-USPIONs were investigated with TEM and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Both FTIR and electrophoresis analysis demonstrated the successful conjugation of Lf to the surface of USPIONs. The average size of Lf-USPIONs was about 8.4 ± 0.5 nm, which was determined using the statistics of measured over 100 nanoparticles in the TEM image, with a negative charge of -7.3 ± 0.2 mV. TEM imaging revealed that Lf-USPIONs were good in dispersion and polygonal in morphology. VSM results indicated that Lf-USPIONs were superparamagnetic and the saturated magnetic intensity was about 69.8 emu/g. The Lf-USPIONs also showed good biocompatibility in hemolysis, cytotoxicity, cell migration and blood biochemistry studies. MR imaging results in vitro and in vivo indicated that Lf-USPIONs exhibited good negative contrast enhancement. Taken together, Lf-USPIONs hold great potential for brain gliomas MR imaging as a nanosized targeted contrast agent.

Organ-on-a-Chip: A Preclinical Microfluidic Platform for the Progress of Nanomedicine

Despite the progress achieved in nanomedicine during the last decade, the translation of new nanotechnology-based therapeutic systems into clinical applications has been slow, especially due to the lack of robust preclinical tissue culture platforms able to mimic the in vivo conditions found in the human body and to predict the performance and biotoxicity of the developed nanomaterials. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms are novel microfluidic tools that mimic complex human organ functions at the microscale level. These integrated microfluidic networks, with 3D tissue engineered models, have been shown high potential to reduce the discrepancies between the results derived from preclinical and clinical trials. However, there are many challenges that still need to be addressed, such as the integration of biosensor modules for long-time monitoring of different physicochemical and biochemical parameters. In this review, recent advances on OoC platforms, particularly on the preclinical validation of nanomaterials designed for cancer, as well as the current challenges and possible future directions for an end-use perspective are discussed.

Nanotechnology approaches to addressing HER2-positive breast cancer

Breast cancer is a major cause of cancer-associated deaths in the United States. It was estimated that 12% of women in the U.S. will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2/neu) is a growth-promoting protein that is overexpressed in 15–20% of breast cancers (HER2-positive breast cancer). HER2-positive breast cancer generally grows and spreads more quickly than other breast cancers, but it can be targeted therapeutically. Targeting drugs have been developed with a specific design to stop the growth and even the spread of cancer. These drugs include trastuzumab (Herceptin), pertuzumab (Perjeta), ado-trastuzumab emtansine (Kadcyla, or TDM-1), fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan, lapatinib, neratinib and tucatinib. However, the need for better targeted therapy and efficacy still exists. Nanotechnology could have major advantages in terms of detection, targeting, drug delivery, and destruction of cancer cells and tumors. Although a great deal of progress has been accomplished major challenges still need to be addressed. In this review, we examine the major areas of research in the area of nanotechnology and HER2-positive breast cancer.

Towards Nanomaterials for Cancer Theranostics: A System of DNA-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles for Detection and Suppression of RNA Marker in Cancer Cells

Theranostics of cancer using smart biocompatible materials can enable early cancer diagnostics and treatment. Here, we report on a DNA-nanoparticle functional material, which can simultaneously report the presence of an mRNA cancer biomarker and trigger its degradation in cultured cells. The nanodevice consists of two species of magnetic beads, each of which is conjugated with different components of a multicomponent deoxyribozyme (DZ) sensor. The system is activated only under two conditions: (i) in the presence of a specific target mRNA and (ii) when a magnetic field is applied. We demonstrate that delivery of such a system is markedly enhanced by the application of a magnetic field. The system not only fluorescently detects target mRNA in cultured MCF-7 cancer cells, but also induces its downregulation. Thus, the two-component magnetic nanoparticle system has characteristics of a material that can be used for cancer theranostics.