Inhibition of intrinsic coagulation improves safety and tumor-targeted drug delivery of cationic solid lipid nanoparticles

Physicochemical Targeting of Lipid Nanoparticles to the Lungs Induces Clotting: Mechanisms and Solutions

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have become the dominant drug delivery technology in industry, holding the promise to deliver RNA to up or down-regulate any protein of interest. LNPs have mostly been targeted to specific cell types or organs by physicochemical targeting in which LNP's lipid compositions are adjusted to find mixtures with the desired tropism. Here lung-tropic LNPs are examined, whose organ tropism derives from containing either a cationic or ionizable lipid conferring a positive zeta potential. Surprisingly, these LNPs are found to induce massive thrombosis. Such thrombosis is shown in the lungs and other organs, and it is shown that it is greatly exacerbated by pre-existing inflammation. This clotting is induced by a variety of formulations with cationic lipids, including LNPs and non-LNP nanoparticles, and even by lung-tropic ionizable lipids that do not have a permanent cationic charge. The mechanism depends on the LNPs binding to and then changing the conformation of fibrinogen, which then activates platelets and thrombin. Based on these mechanisms, multiple solutions are engineered that enable positively charged LNPs to target the lungs while ameliorating thrombosis. The findings illustrate how physicochemical targeting approaches must be investigated early for risks and re-engineered with a careful understanding of biological mechanisms.

Preparation and application of hemostatic microspheres containing biological macromolecules and others

Bleeding from uncontrollable wounds can be fatal, and the body's clotting mechanisms are unable to control bleeding in a timely and effective manner in emergencies such as battlefields and traffic accidents. For irregular and inaccessible wounds, hemostatic materials are needed to intervene to stop bleeding. Hemostatic microspheres are promising for hemostasis, as their unique structural features can promote coagulation. There is a wide choice of materials for the preparation of microspheres, and the modification of natural macromolecular materials such as chitosan to enhance the hemostatic properties and make up for the deficiencies of synthetic macromolecular materials makes the hemostatic microspheres multifunctional and expands the application fields of hemostatic microspheres. Here, we focus on the hemostatic mechanism of different materials and the preparation methods of microspheres, and introduce the modification methods, related properties and applications (in cancer therapy) for the structural characteristics of hemostatic microspheres. Finally, we discuss the future trends of hemostatic microspheres and research opportunities for developing the next generation of hemostatic microsphere materials.

Physicochemical Targeting of Lipid Nanoparticles to the Lungs Induces Clotting: Mechanisms and Solutions

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have become the dominant drug delivery technology in industry, holding the promise to deliver RNA to up- or down-regulate any protein of interest. LNPs have been targeted to specific cell types or organs by physicochemical targeting, in which LNP's lipid compositions are adjusted to find mixtures with the desired tropism. In a popular approach, physicochemical targeting is accomplished by formulating with charged lipids. Negatively charged lipids localize LNPs to the spleen, and positively charged lipids to the lungs. Here we found that lung-tropic LNPs employing cationic lipids induce massive thrombosis. We demonstrate that thrombosis is induced in the lungs and other organs, and greatly exacerbated by pre-existing inflammation. This clotting is induced by a variety of formulations with cationic lipids, including LNPs and non-LNP nanoparticles. The mechanism depends on the LNPs binding to fibrinogen and inducing platelet and thrombin activation. Based on these mechanisms, we engineered multiple solutions which enable positively charged LNPs to target the lungs while not inducing thrombosis. Our findings implicate thrombosis as a major barrier that blood erects against LNPs with cationic components and illustrate how physicochemical targeting approaches must be investigated early for risks and re-engineered with a careful understanding of biological mechanisms.

Stimuli-responsive nanoassemblies for targeted delivery against tumor and its microenvironment

Despite the emergence of various cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy, their use remains restricted owing to their limited tumor elimination efficacy and side effects. The use of nanoassemblies as delivery systems in nanomedicine for tumor diagnosis and therapy is flourishing. These nanoassemblies can be designed to have various shapes, sizes, and surface charges to meet the requirements of different applications. It is crucial for nanoassemblies to have enhanced delivery of payloads while inducing minimal to no toxicity to healthy tissues. In this review, stimuli-responsive nanoassemblies capable of combating the tumor microenvironment (TME) are discussed. First, various TME characteristics, such as hypoxia, oxidoreduction, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) elevation, and acidic TME, are described. Subsequently, the unique characteristics of the vascular and stromal TME are differentiated, and multiple barriers that have to be overcome are discussed. Furthermore, strategies to overcome these barriers for successful drug delivery to the targeted site are reviewed and summarized. In conclusion, the possible challenges and prospects of using these nanoassemblies for tumor-targeted delivery are discussed. This review aims at inspiring researchers to develop stimuli-responsive nanoassemblies for tumor-targeted delivery for clinical applications.

An optimized ionizable cationic lipid for brain tumor-targeted siRNA delivery and glioblastoma immunotherapy

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor with a high mortality rate. Immunotherapy has achieved promising clinical results in multiple cancers, but shows unsatisfactory outcome in GBM patients, and poor drug delivery across the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is believed to be one of the main limitations that hinder the therapeutic efficacy of drugs. Herein, a new cationic lipid nanoparticle (LNP) that can efficiently deliver siRNA across BBB and target mouse brain is prepared for modulating the tumor microenvironment for GBM immunotherapy. By designing and screening cationic LNPs with different ionizable amine headgroups, a lipid (named as BAMPA-O16B) is identified with an optimal acid dissociation constant (pKa) that significantly enhances the cellular uptake and endosomal escape of siRNA lipoplex in mouse GBM cells. Importantly, BAMPA-O16B/siRNA lipoplex is highly effective to deliver siRNA against CD47 and PD-L1 across the BBB into cranial GBM in mice, and downregulate target gene expression in the tumor, resulting in synergistically activating a T cell-dependent antitumor immunity in orthotopic GBM. Collectively, this study offers an effective strategy for brain targeted siRNA delivery and gene silencing by optimizing the physicochemical property of LNPs. The effectiveness of modulating immune environment of GBM could further be expanded for potential treatment of other brain tumors.

Kidney functional stages influence the role of PEG end-group on the renal accumulation and distribution of PEGylated nanoparticles

Modification with polyethylene glycol (PEG), or PEGylation, has become a popular method to improve the efficiency of drug delivery in vivo using nanoparticle-based delivery systems. The PEG end-group plays an important role in the in vivo fate of PEGylated nanoparticles through its interactions with proteins in the serum and the cell membrane. However, the effects of PEG end-groups on the renal clearance of PEGylated nanoparticles remain unclear. Kidney function may also affect the renal accumulation and distribution of nanoparticles. Herein, we demonstrate that the accumulation and distribution of PEGylated nanoparticles in kidneys are significantly affected by both the PEG end-group and kidney function damage. Interestingly, compared to PEG with an amino or methoxy end-group, PEG with maleimide as the end-group markedly enhanced the accumulation of PEGylated nanoparticles in normal kidneys, which may improve renal clearance. However, obvious enhancements in the renal accumulation and medullary distribution of PEGylated nanoparticles are detected in kidneys with functional impairment. Damage to renal function further affects how the PEG end-group influences the accumulation and distribution of PEGylated nanoparticles in kidneys in vivo. Collectively, the findings provide deep insights into the interactions between PEGylated nanoparticles and kidneys in vivo.

Nanostructured particles assembled from natural building blocks for advanced therapies

Advanced treatments based on immune system manipulation, gene transcription and regulation, specific organ and cell targeting, and/or photon energy conversion have emerged as promising therapeutic strategies against a range of challenging diseases. Naturally derived macromolecules (e.g., proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, and polyphenols) have increasingly found use as fundamental building blocks for nanostructured particles as their advantageous properties, including biocompatibility, biodegradability, inherent bioactivity, and diverse chemical properties make them suitable for advanced therapeutic applications. This review provides a timely and comprehensive summary of the use of a broad range of natural building blocks in the rapidly developing field of advanced therapeutics with insights specific to nanostructured particles. We focus on an up-to-date overview of the assembly of nanostructured particles using natural building blocks and summarize their key scientific and preclinical milestones for advanced therapies, including adoptive cell therapy, immunotherapy, gene therapy, active targeted drug delivery, photoacoustic therapy and imaging, photothermal therapy, and combinational therapy. A cross-comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of different natural building blocks are highlighted to elucidate the key design principles for such bio-derived nanoparticles toward improving their performance and adoption. Current challenges and future research directions are also discussed, which will accelerate our understanding of designing, engineering, and applying nanostructured particles for advanced therapies.

Research Progress on Gene Editing Based on Nano-Drug Delivery Vectors for Tumor Therapy

Malignant tumors pose a serious threat to human health and have high fatality rates. Conventional clinical anti-tumor treatment is mainly based on traditional surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and interventional therapy, and even though these treatment methods are constantly updated, a satisfactory efficacy is yet to be obtained. Therefore, research on novel cancer treatments is being actively pursued. We review the classification of gene therapies of malignant tumors and their advantages, as well as the development of gene editing techniques. We further reveal the nano-drug delivery carrier effect in improving the efficiency of gene editing. Finally, we summarize the progress in recent years of gene editing techniques based on nano-drug delivery carriers in the treatment of various malignant tumors, and analyze the prospects of the technique and its restricting factors.

Perspectives and Prospective on Solid Lipid Nanoparticles as Drug Delivery Systems

Combating multiple drug resistance necessitates the delivery of drug molecules at the cellular level. Novel drug delivery formulations have made it possible to improve the therapeutic effects of drugs and have opened up new possibilities for research. Solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs), a class of colloidal drug carriers made of lipids, have emerged as potentially effective drug delivery systems. The use of SLNs is associated with numerous advantages such as low toxicity, high bioavailability of drugs, versatility in the incorporation of hydrophilic and lipophilic drugs, and the potential for production of large quantities of the carrier systems. The SLNs and nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) are the two most frequently used types of nanoparticles. These types of nanoparticles can be adjusted to deliver medications in specific dosages to specific tissues, while minimizing leakage and binding to non-target tissues.

Engineering Optimal Vaccination Strategies: Effects of Physical Properties of the Delivery System on Functions

With rapid developments in medical science and technology, vaccinations have become the key to solving public health problems. Various diseases can be prevented by vaccinations, which mimic a disease by...

Brito AK, Saldanha-Araújo F, Arcanjo DDR, C. Martins MDC, dos S. Borges TK, Báo SN, Plácido A, Eaton P, Kuckelhaus SAS, Leite JRSA. Promising self-emulsifying drug delivery system loaded with lycopene from red guava (Psidium guajava L.): in vivo toxicity, biodistribution and cytotoxicity on DU-145 prostate cancer cells

Background

Self-emulsifying drug delivery systems (SEDDSs) have attracted attention because of their effects on solubility and bioavailability of lipophilic compounds. Herein, a SEDDS loaded with lycopene purified from red guava (nanoLPG) was produced. The nanoemulsion was characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta potential measurement, nanoparticle tracking analysis (NTA), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), lycopene content quantification, radical scavenging activity and colloidal stability in cell culture medium. Then, in vivo toxicity and tissue distribution in orally treated mice and cytotoxicity on human prostate carcinoma cells (DU-145) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated.

Results

NanoLPG exhibited physicochemical properties with a size around 200 nm, negative zeta-potential, and spherical morphology. The size, polydispersity index, and zeta potential parameters suffered insignificant alterations during the 12 month storage at 5 °C, which were associated with lycopene stability at 5 °C for 10 months. The nanoemulsion showed partial aggregation in cell culture medium at 37 °C after 24 h. NanoLPG at 0.10 mg/mL exhibited radical scavenging activity equivalent to 0.043 ± 0.002 mg Trolox/mL. The in vivo studies did not reveal any significant changes in clinical, behavioral, hematological, biochemical, and histopathological parameters in mice orally treated with nanoLPG at 10 mg/kg for 28 days. In addition, nanoLPG successfully delivered lycopene to the liver, kidney and prostate in mice, improved its cytotoxicity against DU-145 prostate cancer cells—probably by pathway independent on classical necrosis and apoptosis—and did not affect PBMC viability.

Conclusions

Thus, nanoLPG stands as a promising and biosafe lycopene delivery system for further development of nanotechnology-based health products.

Graphical Abstract

Safety Evaluation of Nanotechnology Products

Nanomaterials are now being used in a wide variety of biomedical applications. Medical and health-related issues, however, have raised major concerns, in view of the potential risks of these materials against tissue, cells, and/or organs and these are still poorly understood. These particles are able to interact with the body in countless ways, and they can cause unexpected and hazardous toxicities, especially at cellular levels. Therefore, undertaking in vitro and in vivo experiments is vital to establish their toxicity with natural tissues. In this review, we discuss the underlying mechanisms of nanotoxicity and provide an overview on in vitro characterizations and cytotoxicity assays, as well as in vivo studies that emphasize blood circulation and the in vivo fate of nanomaterials. Our focus is on understanding the role that the physicochemical properties of nanomaterials play in determining their toxicity.

Co-delivery of doxorubicin and aptamer against Forkhead box M1 using chitosan-gold nanoparticles coated with nucleolin aptamer for synergistic treatment of cancer cells

Herein, a nanotherapeutic delivery method was presented for co-delivery of doxorubicin (DOX) and aptamer against Forkhead box M1 (FOXM1 Apt) to cancer cells. Firstly, the vehicle composed of chitosan (CS)-Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) conjugate was prepared. Nucleolin aptamer (AS1411) and FOXM1 Apt were loaded onto the CS-AuNPs and formed Aptamers (Apts)-CS-AuNPs. Subsequently, DOX was added to the Apts-CS-AuNPs to obtain the DOX-Apts-CS-AuNPs complex for synergistic treatment of tumor. The data of flow cytometry analysis and fluorescence imaging displayed that the complex was effectively internalized into target cells (A549 and 4T1 cells, nucleolin+) but not into CHO cells as nontarget cells. The results of the MTT assay showed that the complex significantly increased cell mortality in 4T1 and A549 cells compared to CHO cells treated with the complex. The in vivo studies demonstrated that the DOX-Apts-CS-AuNPs complex exhibited more tumor inhibitory effect and less distribution in other organs compared to free DOX.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery: Pharmacological and Biopharmaceutical Aspects

In the golden age of pharmaceutical nanocarriers, we are witnessing a maturation stage of the original concepts and ideas. There is no doubt that nanoformulations are extremely valuable tools for drug delivery applications; the current challenge is how to optimize them to ensure that they are safe, effective and scalable, so that they can be manufactured at an industrial level and advance to clinical use. In this context, lipid nanoparticles have gained ground, since they are generally regarded as non-toxic, biocompatible and easy-to-produce formulations. Pharmaceutical applications of lipid nanocarriers are a burgeoning field for the transport and delivery of a diversity of therapeutic agents, from biotechnological products to small drug molecules. This review starts with a brief overview of the characteristics of solid lipid nanoparticles and discusses the relevancy of performing systematic preformulation studies. The main applications, as well as the advantages that this type of nanovehicles offers in certain therapeutic scenarios are discussed. Next, pharmacokinetic aspects are described, such as routes of administration, absorption after oral administration, distribution in the organism (including brain penetration) and elimination processes. Safety and toxicity issues are also addressed. Our work presents an original point of view, addressing the biopharmaceutical aspects of these nanovehicles by means of descriptive statistics of the state-of-the-art of solid lipid nanoparticles research. All the presented results, trends, graphs and discussions are based in a systematic (and reproducible) bibliographic search that considered only original papers in the subject, covering a 7 years range (2013-today), a period that accounts for more than 60% of the total number of publications in the topic in the main bibliographic databases and search engines. Focus was placed on the therapeutic fields of application, absorption and distribution processes and current efforts for the translation into the clinical practice of lipid-based nanoparticles. For this, the currently active clinical trials on lipid nanoparticles were reviewed, with a brief discussion on what achievements or milestones are still to be reached, as a way of understanding the reasons for the scarce number of solid lipid nanoparticles undergoing clinical trials.

Lipid-based Nanoplatforms in Cancer Therapy: Recent Advances and Applications

Though modern available cancer therapies are effective, they possess major adverse effects, causing non-compliance to patients. Furthermore, the majority of the polymeric-based medication platforms are certainly not universally acceptable, due to their several restrictions. With this juxtaposition, lipid-based medication delivery systems have appeared as promising drug nanocarriers to replace the majority of the polymer-based products because they are in a position to reverse polymer as well as, drug-associated restrictions. Furthermore, the amalgamation of the basic principle of nanotechnology in designing lipid nanocarriers, which are the latest form of lipid carriers, has tremendous chemotherapeutic possibilities as tumor-targeted drug-delivery pertaining to tumor therapy. Apart from this, it is reported that nearly 40% of the modern medication entities are lipophilic. Moreover, research continues to be efficient in attaining a significant understanding of the absorption and bioavailability of the developed lipids systems.

Cationic Liposome/DNA Complexes Mediate Antitumor Immunotherapy by Promoting Immunogenic Tumor Cell Death and Dendritic Cell Activation

Immunotherapy has been successfully used in the treatment of multiple malignancies, but clinical studies revealed low response rates. Thus, the development of new effective immunotherapeutic modalities is urgently needed. Successfully inducing tumor cell death with enhanced antigenicity is important for the expansion and differentiation of tumor-specific CD8⁺ cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Cationic liposome/DNA complexes (CLN/DNA), which usually have obvious cytotoxic effects, may improve the antitumor immunity through enhancing the immunogenicity of dying tumor cells. Herein, we report that a plasmid DNA-encapsulated cationic lipid nanoparticle formulated with cholesterol, DOTAP, and DSPE-mPEG₂₀₀₀ significantly increases the tumor cell death with high antigenicity in vitro. Furthermore, the cationic liposome/DNA complex (CLN/DNA) treatment promotes the activation of dendritic cells (DCs). We also find that the intratumorally injected CLN/DNA successfully promoted the activation of DCs in the tumor-draining lymph node. Importantly, both local tumor growth and distant tumor formation were significantly inhibited by T cell-dependent antitumor immune responses after intratumoral injection of CLN/DNA. This study presents a simple and effective strategy for improving the cancer immunotherapy.

Solid Lipid Nanoparticles: A Promising Nanomaterial in Drug Delivery

The solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) usually consists of active drug molecules along with solid lipids, surfactants, and/or co-surfactants. They possess some potential features such as nano-size, surface with a free functional group to attach ligands, and as well they prove safe homing for both lipophilic as well as hydrophilic molecules. As far as synthesis is concerned, SLNs can be prepared by employing various techniques viz., homogenization techniques (e.g., high-pressure, high-speed, cold, or hot homogenization), spray drying technique, ultrasonication, solvent emulsification, double emulsion technique, etc. Apart from this, they are characterized by different methods for determining various parameters like particle-size, polydispersity-index, surface morphology, DSC, XRD, etc. SLNs show good stability as well as the ability for surface tailoring with the specific ligand, which makes them a suitable candidate in the therapy of numerous illnesses, especially in the targeting of the cancers. In spite of this, SLNs have witnessed their application via various routes e.g., oral, parenteral, topical, pulmonary, rectal routes, etc. Eventually, SLNs have also shown great potential for delivery of gene/DNA, vaccines, as well as in cosmeceuticals. Hence, SLNs have emerged as a promising nanomaterial for efficient delivery of various Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs).

Primary Studies on Construction and Evaluation of Ion-Sensitive in situ Gel Loaded with Paeonol-Solid Lipid Nanoparticles for Intranasal Drug Delivery

BACKGROUND

Paeonol (PAE) is a potential central neuroprotective agent with poor water solubility and rapid metabolism in vivo. The key to improve the clinical application of PAE in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is to improve the brain delivery of it. The purpose of this study was to construct a paeonol-solid lipid nanoparticles-in situ gel (PAE-SLNs-ISG) drug delivery system based on nose-brain transport pathway.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this study, the stability of PAE in simulated biological samples was studied firstly in order to clarify the reasons for low oral bioavailability. Paeonol-solid lipid nanoparticles (PAE-SLNs) were prepared by high-temperature emulsification-low-temperature curing combined with ultrasound. The PAE-SLNs-ISG drug delivery system was constructed, and related formulation optimization, preparation characterization, cell evaluation and in vivo evaluation were performed.

RESULTS

The metabolic mechanism of PAE incubated in the liver microsomes metabolic system was in accordance with the first-order kinetics, and the half-life was 0.23 h. PAE-SLNs were polyhedral or spherical particles with good dispersion and the particle size was 166.79 nm ± 2.92 nm. PAE-SLNs-ISG solution was a Newtonian fluid with a viscosity of 44.36 mPa · S ± 2.89 mPa · S. The viscosity of PAE-SLNs-ISG gel was 1542.19 mPa · S ± 19.30 mPa · S, and the rheological evaluation showed that the gel was a non-Newtonian pseudoplastic fluid with shear thinning, thixotropy and yield value. The release mechanism of PAE from PAE-SLNs was drug diffusion; the release mechanism of PAE from PAE-SLNs-ISG was a synergistic effect of skeleton erosion and drug diffusion. The cell viabilities of PAE-SLNs and PAE-SLNs-ISG in the concentration range of 0.001 µg/mL to 10 µg/mL were higher than 90%, showing a low level of cytotoxicity. The geometric mean fluorescent intensities of RPMI 2650 cells incubated with fluorescein isothiocyanate-solid lipid nanoparticles (FITC-SLNs) for 1 h, 4 h and 6 h were 1841 ± 24, 2261 ± 27 and 2757 ± 22, respectively. Cyanine7 NHS ester-solid lipid nanoparticles-in situ gel (Cy7-SLNs-ISG) accumulated effectively in the brain area after administration through the olfactory area, and the fluorescence response was observed in olfactory bulb, cerebellum and striatum.

CONCLUSION

SLNs-ISG nose-brain drug delivery system can effectively deliver SLNs to brain regions, and it is a potentially effective strategy to realize the brain region delivery of PAE.

Nanoparticle-delivered siRNA targeting Bruton's tyrosine kinase for rheumatoid arthritis therapy

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a systemic autoimmune disease that can cause irreversible joint deformity. There is still no cure for RA, and current therapeutics, including methotrexate and adalimumab, cause serious off-target effects and systemic immunosuppression, which in turn increases the risk of infection. Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) in macrophages and B cells has been demonstrated to be a promising therapeutic target for RA. However, high doses of BTK inhibitors are required for efficient BTK suppression, which limits their clinical use. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) is promising for the silencing of specific genes and has been used for the treatment of multiple diseases. To deliver siRNA into macrophages and B cells for BTK gene silencing, we employed cationic lipid-assisted PEG-b-PLGA nanoparticles (CLANs) to encapsulate siRNA. We demonstrated that macrophages and B cells were able to efficiently ingest the CLANs both in vitro and in vivo. Thereafter, we encapsulated siRNA targeting BTK (siBTK) into the CLANs, denoted as CLAN_siBTK, and demonstrated that CLAN_siBTK significantly inhibited BTK expression in macrophages and B cells. In a collagen-induced mouse arthritis model, CLAN_siBTK treatment dramatically reduced joint inflammation and other RA symptoms but showed no toxicity, proving that using CLAN_siBTK is a promising approach for RA therapy.

Design of novel proliposome formulation for antioxidant peptide, glutathione with enhanced oral bioavailability and stability

To develop proliposome formulations to improve the oral bioavailability of l-glutathione (GSH), GSH-loaded proliposomes were prepared using the granule method. Mannitol was selected as an effective excipient to achieve the desired particle size, entrapment efficiency (EE), and solubility for oral delivery of the final formulation. To evaluate the effect of surface charge of proliposomes on the oral bioavailability of GSH, negative (F1-F4) and positive proliposomes (F5-F9) were prepared. Particle size of F1 and F5 was 167.8 ± 0.9 and 175.9 ± 2.0 nm, and zeta potential of F1 and F5 was -8.1 ± 0.7 and 21.1 ± 2.0 mV, respectively. Encapsulation efficiency of F1 and F5 was 58.6% and 54.7%, respectively. Considering their particle size, zeta potential, and EE, the proliposomes F1 and F5 were adopted as the optimal formulations for further experiments. Solid state characterization of the proliposomes confirmed lipid coating on the surface of mannitol. The release of GSH from F1 and F5 formulations was prolonged until 24 h and pH independent. The total antioxidant capacity of GSH was concentration-dependent and maintained after formulation of GSH proliposomes. Circular dichroism spectroscopy confirmed that the molecular structure of GSH was maintained in the proliposome formulations. GSH proliposomes exhibited no significant changes in particle size and zeta potential for 4 weeks. An oral bioavailability study in rats revealed that F5 exhibited 1.05-, 1.08-, and 1.11-fold higher bioavailability than F1, commercial capsule formulation, and pure GSH, respectively. In conclusion, the prepared GSH proliposomes enhanced the poor bioavailability of GSH and prolonged its duration of action.

Targeted delivery of doxorubicin to cancer cells by a cruciform DNA nanostructure composed of AS1411 and FOXM1 aptamers

OBJECTIVES

Here, a novel cruciform DNA nanostructure was developed for targeted delivery of doxorubicin (Dox), as an anticancer agent, to lung (A549 cells) and breast (4T1 cells) cancer cells. The cruciform DNA nanostructure consisted of AS1411 aptamer as targeting agent and Forkhead Box Protein M1(FOXM1) aptamer as therapeutic agent.

METHODS

MTT assay, fluorescence imaging, flow cytometry analysis, and in vivoantitumor efficacy were performed to evaluate the function of the Dox-DNA nanostructure complex.

RESULTS

The presented delivery system benefited from tumor targeting, high stability in serum and simple construction. The Dox-DNA nanostructure complex showed a noticeable higher internalization degree into A549 and 4T1 cells (target), overexpressing nucleolin on their cell membranes, compared to CHO cells (nontarget, nucleolin negative). Moreover, the results of MTT assay exhibited that Dox-DNA nanostructure complex significantly decreased cell viability in A549 and 4T1 cells compared to CHO cells, which significantly preserved their viability. Besides, Dox-DNA nanostructure complex significantly reduced tumor growth in tumor-bearing mice in comparison with Dox and DNA nanostructure treatments.

CONCLUSION

These findings confirmed that synergistic combination of FOXM1 aptamer and Dox into Dox-DNA nanostructure complex enhanced antitumor effectiveness and reduced toxicity toward nontarget cells, opening up new insights in cancer treatment.

Size shrinkable drug delivery nanosystems and priming the tumor microenvironment for deep intratumoral penetration of nanoparticles

The penetration of nanomedicine into solid tumor still constitutes a great challenge for cancer therapy, which lead to the failure of thorough clearance of tumor cells. Aiming at solving this issue, lots of encouraging progress has been made in the development of multistage nanoparticles triggered by various stimuli in the past few years. Besides, the therapeutical effects of nanoagents are also greatly impacted by the complex tumor microenvironment, and remodeling tumor microenvironment has become another important approach for promoting nanoparticles penetration. In this review, we summarize and analyze recent research progress and challenges in promoting nanoparticle penetration based on two kinds of different strategies, which include size shrinkable nanoparticles and priming tumor microenvironments. Especially, many recent reported multi-strategy approaches based on particle size reduction in conjugated with other therapeutic strategies are discussed. And we expect to provide some useful enlightenments and proposals on nanotechnology-based drug delivery systems for more effective therapy of solid tumors.

Evaluate the Cytotoxicity of Kojic Acid Nanocomposites on Melanoma Cells and Normal Cells of the Skin

Iron oxide nanoparticles (MNPs) was synthesized by coprecipitation of Fe+2and Fe+3into highly basic media, followed by coating with chitosan (CH) and polyethylene glycol (PG) to forming CH-MNPs and PG-MNPs nanoparticles, respectively. Kojic acid (Kj) drug was loaded on the CH-MNPs and PG-MNPs nanoparticles to forming Kj-CH-MNPs and Kj-PG-MNPs nanocomposites. The potential cytotoxicity of free Kj, MNPs, Kj-CH-MNPs and Kj-PG-MNPs nanocomposites was evaluated using skin cancer cells (B16-F10 melanoma cells) and normal skin cell (Human Dermal Fibroblasts murine). Kj at concentrations in the range 1.562–50 μg/mL did not affect on the viability of normal skin cell and skin cancer cells during a 72-hours incubation. The Kj-CH-MNPs and Kj-PG-MNPs nanocomposites exhibit significant cytotoxicity in skin cancer cells in a dose-dependent manner with an IC50value 47.1 and 8.4 μg/mL, respectively.

Carboplatin-loaded SMNDs to reduce GSH-mediated platinum resistance for prostate cancer therapy

Glutathione (GSH)-mediated drug resistance can strongly weaken the therapeutic efficiency of platinum(ii).