Untargeted metabolomics reveals alterations in the metabolic reprogramming of prostate cancer cells by double-stranded DNA-modified gold nanoparticles

Therapeutic effect and metabolic fingerprinting of triple-negative breast cancer cells following exposure to a novel pH-responsive, gambogic acid-loaded micelle

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a subtype of breast cancer with a poor prognosis and lacks effective therapeutic targets. The use of gambogic acid (GA), a class of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine with anti-tumour potential, is limited in tumour therapy owing to its drawbacks and unclear organ toxicity. In this study, we used the pH-responsive amphiphilic block copolymer, PEOz-PCL, to create nanodrugs for GA delivery to MDA-MB-231 cells. The pH-responsive GA-loaded micelles were prepared through nanoprecipitation with a more homogeneous size. The average particle size was 42.29 ± 1.74 nm, and the zeta potential value was 9.88 ± 0.17 mV. The encapsulation rate was 85.06%, and the drug loading rate was 10.63%. The process was reproducible, and sustained release reached 80% in 96 h at acid pH 5.0. Furthermore, cellular tests using CCK-8, TUNEL, and flow cytometry revealed that pH-responsive GA-loaded micelles killed MDA-MB-231 cells more effectively and had much higher activity and targeting compared with free drugs. Metabolomic analysis of the changes in differential metabolites revealed that pH-responsive GA-loaded micelles may inhibit TNBC cells by causing amino acid anabolism, nucleotide metabolism, and glucose metabolism, as well as by affecting their energy sources. The study outcomes will help understand the mechanism of action and the therapeutic efficacy of pH-responsive GA-loaded micellesin vivo.

Gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods in the landscape of cancer therapy

Cancer is a grievous disease whose treatment requires a more efficient, non-invasive therapy, associated with minimal side effects. Gold nanoparticles possessing greatly impressive optical properties have been a forerunner in bioengineered cancer therapy. This theranostic system has gained immense popularity and finds its application in the field of molecular detection, biological imaging, cancer cell targeting, etc. The photothermal property of nanoparticles, especially of gold nanorods, causes absorption of the light incident by the light source, and transforms it into heat, resulting in tumor cell destruction. This review describes the different optical features of gold nanoparticles and summarizes the advance research done for the application of gold nanoparticles and precisely gold nanorods for combating various cancers including breast, lung, colon, oral, prostate, and pancreatic cancer.

Mechanistic Insights into the Biological Effects of Engineered Nanomaterials: A Focus on Gold Nanoparticles

Nanotechnology has great potential to significantly advance the biomedical field for the benefit of human health. However, the limited understanding of nano-bio interactions leading to unknowns about the potential adverse health effects of engineered nanomaterials and to the poor efficacy of nanomedicines has hindered their use and commercialization. This is well evidenced considering gold nanoparticles, one of the most promising nanomaterials for biomedical applications. Thus, a fundamental understanding of nano-bio interactions is of interest to nanotoxicology and nanomedicine, enabling the development of safe-by-design nanomaterials and improving the efficacy of nanomedicines. In this review, we introduce the advanced approaches currently applied in nano-bio interaction studies-omics and systems toxicology-to provide insights into the biological effects of nanomaterials at the molecular level. We highlight the use of omics and systems toxicology studies focusing on the assessment of the mechanisms underlying the in vitro biological responses to gold nanoparticles. First, the great potential of gold-based nanoplatforms to improve healthcare along with the main challenges for their clinical translation are presented. We then discuss the current limitations in the translation of omics data to support risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials.