Precision biomaterials in cancer theranostics and modelling

pH-Sensitive Hydrogels Fabricated with Hyaluronic Acid as a Polymer for Site-Specific Delivery of Mesalamine

Hydrogels with the main objective of releasing mesalamine (5-aminosalicylic acid) in the colon in a modified manner were formulated in the present work using a free-radical polymerization approach. Different ratios of hyaluronic acid were cross-linked with methacrylic and acrylic acids using methylenebis(acrylamide). The development of a new polymeric network and the successful loading of drug were revealed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis demonstrated that the hydrogel was more thermally stable than the pure polymer and drug. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a rough and hard surface which was relatively suitable for efficient loading of drug and significant penetration of dissolution medium inside the polymeric system. Studies on swelling and drug release were conducted at 37 °C in acidic and basic conditions (pH 1.2, 4.5, 6.8, and 7.4, respectively). Significant swelling and drug release occurred at pH 7.4. Swelling, drug loading, drug release, and gel fraction of the hydrogels increased with increasing hyaluronic acid, methacrylic acid, and acrylic acid concentrations, while the sol fraction decreased. Results obtained from the toxicity study proved the formulated system to be safe for biological systems. The pH-sensitive hydrogels have the potential to be beneficial for colon targeting due to their pH sensitivity and biodegradability. Inflammatory bowel disease may respond better to hydrogel treatment as compared to conventional dosage forms. Specific amount of drug is released from hydrogels at specific intervals to maintain its therapeutic concentration at the required level.

Immunotherapies for locally aggressive cancers

Improving surgical resection outcomes for locally aggressive tumors is key to inducing durable locoregional disease control and preventing progression to metastatic disease. Macroscopically complete resection of the tumor is the standard of care for many cancers, including breast, ovarian, lung, sarcoma, and mesothelioma. Advancements in cancer diagnostics are increasing the number of surgically eligible cases through early detection. Thus, a unique opportunity arises to improve patient outcomes with decreased recurrence rates via intraoperative delivery treatments using local drug delivery strategies after the tumor has been resected. Of the current systemic treatments (e.g., chemotherapy, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies), immunotherapies are the latest approach to offer significant benefits. Intraoperative strategies benefit from direct access to the tumor microenvironment which improves drug uptake to the tumor and simultaneously minimizes the risk of drug entering healthy tissues thereby resulting in fewer or less toxic adverse events. We review the current state of immunotherapy development and discuss the opportunities that intraoperative treatment provides. We conclude by summarizing progress in current research, identifying areas for exploration, and discussing future prospects in sustained remission.

The importance of 3D fibre architecture in cancer and implications for biomaterial model design

The need for improved prediction of clinical response is driving the development of cancer models with enhanced physiological relevance. A new concept of 'precision biomaterials' is emerging, encompassing patient-mimetic biomaterial models that seek to accurately detect, treat and model cancer by faithfully recapitulating key microenvironmental characteristics. Despite recent advances allowing tissue-mimetic stiffness and molecular composition to be replicated in vitro, approaches for reproducing the 3D fibre architectures found in tumour extracellular matrix (ECM) remain relatively unexplored. Although the precise influences of patient-specific fibre architecture are unclear, we summarize the known roles of tumour fibre architecture, underlining their implications in cell-matrix interactions and ultimately clinical outcome. We then explore the challenges in reproducing tissue-specific 3D fibre architecture(s) in vitro, highlighting relevant biomaterial fabrication techniques and their benefits and limitations. Finally, we discuss imaging and image analysis techniques (focussing on collagen I-optimized approaches) that could hold the key to mapping tumour-specific ECM into high-fidelity biomaterial models. We anticipate that an interdisciplinary approach, combining materials science, cancer research and image analysis, will elucidate the role of 3D fibre architecture in tumour development, leading to the next generation of patient-mimetic models for mechanistic studies and drug discovery.

Heat-inducible CAR-T overcomes adverse mechanical tumor microenvironment in a 3D bioprinted glioblastoma model

Glioblastoma (GBM) presents a significant therapeutic challenge due to the limited efficacy of existing treatments. Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy offers promise, but its potential in solid tumors like GBM is undermined by the physical barrier posed by the extracellular matrix (ECM). To address the inadequacies of traditional 2D cell culture, animal models, and Matrigel-based 3D culture in mimicking the mechanical characteristics of tumor tissues, we employed biomaterials and digital light processing-based 3D bioprinting to fabricate biomimetic tumor models with finely tunable ECM stiffness independent of ECM composition. Our results demonstrated that increased material stiffness markedly impeded CAR-T cell penetration and tumor cell cytotoxicity in GBM models. The 3D bioprinted models enabled us to examine the influence of ECM stiffness on CAR-T cell therapy effectiveness, providing a clinically pertinent evaluation tool for CAR-T cell development in stiff solid tumors. Furthermore, we developed an innovative heat-inducible CAR-T cell therapy, effectively overcoming the challenges posed by the stiff tumor microenvironment.

A large-scale machine learning analysis of inorganic nanoparticles in preclinical cancer research

Owing to their distinct physical and chemical properties, inorganic nanoparticles (NPs) have shown promising results in preclinical cancer therapy, but designing and engineering them for effective therapeutic purposes remains a challenge. Although a comprehensive database of inorganic NP research is not currently available, it is crucial for developing effective cancer therapies. In this context, machine learning (ML) has emerged as a transformative tool, but its adaptation to nanomedicine is hindered by inexistent or small datasets. Here we assembled a large database of inorganic NPs, comprising experimental datasets from 745 preclinical studies in cancer nanomedicine. Using descriptive statistics and explainable ML models we mined this database to gain knowledge of inorganic NP design patterns and inform future NP research for cancer treatment. Our analyses suggest that NP shape and therapy type are prominent features in determining in vivo efficacy, measured as a percentage of tumour reduction. Moreover, our database provides a large-scale open-access resource for discriminative ML that the broader nanotechnology community can utilize. Our work blueprints data mining for translational cancer research and offers evidence for standardizing NP reporting to accelerate and de-risk inorganic NP-based drug delivery, which may help to improve patient outcomes in clinical settings.

Putting Hybrid Nanomaterials to Work for Biomedical Applications

Hybrid nanomaterials have found use in many biomedical applications. This article provides a comprehensive review of the principles, techniques, and recent advancements in the design and fabrication of hybrid nanomaterials for biomedicine. We begin with an introduction to the general concept of material hybridization, followed by a discussion of how this approach leads to materials with additional functionality and enhanced performance. We then highlight hybrid nanomaterials in the forms of nanostructures, nanocomposites, metal-organic frameworks, and biohybrids, including their fabrication methods. We also showcase the use of hybrid nanomaterials to advance biomedical engineering in the context of nanomedicine, regenerative medicine, diagnostics, theranostics, and biomanufacturing. Finally, we offer perspectives on challenges and opportunities.

Organic functional substance engineered living materials for biomedical applications

Modifying living materials with organic functional substances (OFS) is a convenient and effective strategy to control and monitor the transport, engraftment, and secretion processes in living organisms. OFSs, including small organic molecules and organic polymers, own the merit of design flexibility, satisfying performance, and excellent biocompatibility, which allow for living materials functionalization to realize real-time sensing, controlled drug release, enhanced biocompatibility, accurate diagnosis, and precise treatment. In this review, we discuss the different principles of OFS modification on living materials and demonstrate the applications of engineered living materials in health monitoring, drug delivery, wound healing, and tissue regeneration.

Red emissive carbon dots: a promising next-generation material with intracellular applicability

The accidental discovery of carbon dots (CDs) back in 2004 has led to their widespread use in the biomedical field. CDs have demonstrated their effectiveness in reporting 3D structures of biological specimens, identifying normal and cancer cells, and even detecting analytes within cells. However, the limitations of blue-green emitting CDs, such as their shallow penetration, photodamage, and auto-fluorescence, have hindered their practical applications. To overcome these limitations, red emissive CDs (RCDs) have been developed, which have deep tissue penetration, minimal photo-damage, low auto-fluorescence, and high imaging contrast. In this article, we present a thorough review on the use of RCDs in biomedical applications, including in vivo and in vitro bioimaging, photoacoustic imaging, monitoring temperature and polarity changes in living cells, tumour therapy, and drug delivery. With the rapid progress being made in the development of RCDs for intracellular applications, their clinical application is expected to become a reality in the near future.

Lymph node metastasis in cancer progression: molecular mechanisms, clinical significance and therapeutic interventions

Lymph nodes (LNs) are important hubs for metastatic cell arrest and growth, immune modulation, and secondary dissemination to distant sites through a series of mechanisms, and it has been proved that lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an essential prognostic indicator in many different types of cancer. Therefore, it is important for oncologists to understand the mechanisms of tumor cells to metastasize to LNs, as well as how LNM affects the prognosis and therapy of patients with cancer in order to provide patients with accurate disease assessment and effective treatment strategies. In recent years, with the updates in both basic and clinical studies on LNM and the application of advanced medical technologies, much progress has been made in the understanding of the mechanisms of LNM and the strategies for diagnosis and treatment of LNM. In this review, current knowledge of the anatomical and physiological characteristics of LNs, as well as the molecular mechanisms of LNM, are described. The clinical significance of LNM in different anatomical sites is summarized, including the roles of LNM playing in staging, prognostic prediction, and treatment selection for patients with various types of cancers. And the novel exploration and academic disputes of strategies for recognition, diagnosis, and therapeutic interventions of metastatic LNs are also discussed.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels for photothermal therapy of cancer cells

Introduction: Non-invasive photothermal therapy (PTT) is a competitive treatment for solid tumors, while the efficacy is largely dependent on the effective retention of photothermal converters in tumor tissues.

Methods: Herein, the development of iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticle-loaded alginate (ALG) hydrogel platform for PTT of colorectal cancer cells is reported. Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthesized via coprecipitation method after reaction of 30 min have a small size (61.3 nm) and more suitable surface potential, and can mediate PTT under near-infrared (NIR) laser irradiation. The premix of Fe3O4 nanoparticles and ALG hydrogel precursors can be gelatinized by Ca2+-mediated cross-linking to form this therapeutic hydrogel platform.

Results: The formed Fe3O4 nanoparticles can be effectively taken up by CT26 cancer cells and induce the death of CT26 cells in vitro under NIR laser irradiation because of their excellent photothermal property. In addition, Fe3O4 nanoparticle-loaded ALG hydrogels show negligible cytotoxicity at the studied concentration range, but can significantly kill cancer cells after PTT effect.

Conclusion: This ALG-based hydrogel platform provides a valuable reference for subsequent in vivo studies and other related studies on Fe3O4 nanoparticle-loaded hydrogels.

Biomaterials-assisted construction of neoantigen vaccines for personalized cancer immunotherapy

INTRODUCTION

Cancer vaccine represents a promising strategy toward personalized immunotherapy, and its therapeutic potency highly relies on the specificity of tumor antigens. Among these extensively studied tumor antigens, neoantigens, a type of short synthetic peptides derived from random somatic mutations, have been shown to be able to elicit tumor-specific antitumor immune response for tumor suppression. However, challenges remain in the efficient and safe delivery of neoantigens to antigen-presenting cells inside lymph nodes for eliciting potent and sustained antitumor immune responses. The rapid advance of biomaterials including various nanomaterials, injectable hydrogels, and macroscopic scaffolds has been found to hold great promises to facilitate the construction of efficient cancer vaccines attributing to their high loading and controllable release capacities.

AREAS COVERED

In this review, we will summarize and discuss the recent advances in the utilization of different types of biomaterials to construct neoantigen-based cancer vaccines, followed by a simple perspective on the future development of such biomaterial-assisted cancer neoantigen vaccination and personalized immunotherapy.

EXPERT OPINION

These latest progresses in biomaterial-assisted cancer vaccinations have shown great promises in boosting substantially potentiated tumor-specific antitumor immunity to suppress tumor growth, thus preventing tumor metastasis and recurrence.

Breakthrough of extracellular vesicles in pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a highly prevalent whole-joint disease that causes disability and pain and affects a patient's quality of life. However, currently, there is a lack of effective early diagnosis and treatment. Although stem cells can promote cartilage repair and treat OA, problems such as immune rejection and tumorigenicity persist. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) can transmit genetic information from donor cells and mediate intercellular communication, which is considered a functional paracrine factor of stem cells. Increasing evidences suggest that EVs may play an essential and complex role in the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of OA. Here, we introduced the role of EVs in OA progression by influencing inflammation, metabolism, and aging. Next, we discussed EVs from the blood, synovial fluid, and joint-related cells for diagnosis. Moreover, we outlined the potential of modified and unmodified EVs and their combination with biomaterials for OA therapy. Finally, we discuss the deficiencies and put forward the prospects and challenges related to the application of EVs in the field of OA.

Boosting the Clinical Translation of Organ-on-a-Chip Technology

Organ-on-a-chip devices have become a viable option for investigating critical physiological events and responses; this technology has matured substantially, and many systems have been reported for disease modeling or drug screening over the last decade. Despite the wide acceptance in the academic community, their adoption by clinical end-users is still a non-accomplished promise. The reasons behind this difficulty can be very diverse but most likely are related to the lack of predictive power, physiological relevance, and reliability necessary for being utilized in the clinical area. In this Perspective, we briefly discuss the main attributes of organ-on-a-chip platforms in academia and how these characteristics impede their easy translation to the clinic. We also discuss how academia, in conjunction with the industry, can contribute to boosting their adoption by proposing novel design concepts, fabrication methods, processes, and manufacturing materials, improving their standardization and versatility, and simplifying their manipulation and reusability.

In situ Hydrogels for Effective Treatment of Cancer: Strategies and Polymers Used

Cancer is a worldwide health ailment with no known boundaries in terms of mortality and occurrence rates, thus is one of the biggest threats to humankind. Hence, there is an absolute need to develop novel therapeutics to bridge the infirmities associated with chemotherapy and conventional surgical methodologies including impairment of normal tissue, compromised drug efficiency and an escalation in side effects. In lieu of this, there's been a surge in curiosity towards development of injectable hydrogels for cancer therapy because local administration of the active pharmaceutical agent offers encouraging advantages such as providing higher effective dose at target site, prolonged retention time of drug, ease of administration, mitigation of dose in vivo ,improved patient compliance. Furthermore, due to its biocompatible nature such systems can significantly reduce the side effects that occur on long-term exposure to chemotherapy. The present review details the most recent advancements in in-situ gel forming polymers (natural and synthetic), polymeric cross-linking methodologies and in-situ gelling mechanisms, focusing on their clinical benefits in cancer therapy.

Natural products exert anti-tumor effects by regulating exosomal ncRNA

Currently, more than 60% of the approved anti-cancer drugs come from or are related to natural products. Natural products and exosomal non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) exert anti-cancer effects through various regulatory mechanisms, which are of great research significance. Exosomes are a form of intercellular communication and contain ncRNAs that can act as intercellular signaling molecules involved in the metabolism of tumor cells. This review exemplifies some examples of natural products whose active ingredients can play a role in cancer prevention and treatment by regulating exosomal ncRNAs, with the aim of illustrating the mechanism of action of exosomal ncRNAs in cancer prevention and treatment. Meanwhile, the application of exosomes as natural drug delivery systems and predictive disease biomarkers in cancer prevention and treatment is introduced, providing research ideas for the development of novel anti-tumor drugs.

Series of High Magnetic Resonance-Guided Photoinduced Nanodelivery Systems for Precisely Improving the Efficiency of Cancer Therapy

Nanochemotherapy is recognized as one of the most promising cancer treatment options, and the design of the carrier has a crucial impact on the final efficacy. To precisely improve the efficacy and reduce the toxicity, we combined the clinical contrast agent (Gd-DTPA) with a stimulus-sensitive o-nitrobenzyl ester and then prepared a series of nNBGD lipids by varying the carbon chain length of the hydrophobic group. The self-assembled nNBGD liposomes can be tracked by MRI to localize the aggregation of drug carriers in vivo, so as to prompt the application of light stimulation at the optimal time to facilitate the precise release of carriers at the lesion site. And the application potential of this strategy was verified with 88% tumor suppression effect in the 12NBGD-DOX+UV group. In addition, this paper emphasizes that small differences in structure can affect the overall performance of the carriers. By exploration of the differences in stability, drug loading, stimulus responsiveness, MRI imaging effect, and toxicity of the series of nNBGD carriers, the relationship between the length of the hydrophobic group of nNBGD lipids and the overall performance of the carriers is given, which provides experimental support and design reference for other carriers.

Glycoconjugate Nanoparticle-Based Systems in Cancer Immunotherapy: Novel Designs and Recent Updates

For many years, cell-surface glycans (in particular, Tumor-Associated Carbohydrate Antigens, TACAs) have been the target of both passive and active anticancer immunotherapeutic design. Recent advances in immunotherapy as a treatment for a variety of malignancies has revolutionized anti-tumor treatment regimens. Checkpoint inhibitors, Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells, Oncolytic virus therapy, monoclonal antibodies and vaccines have been developed and many approvals have led to remarkable outcomes in a subset of patients. However, many of these therapies are very selective for specific patient populations and hence the search for improved therapeutics and refinement of techniques for delivery are ongoing and fervent research areas. Most of these agents are directed at protein/peptide epitopes, but glycans-based targets are gaining in popularity, and a handful of approved immunotherapies owe their activity to oligosaccharide targets. In addition, nanotechnology and nanoparticle-derived systems can help improve the delivery of these agents to specific organs and cell types based on tumor-selective approaches. This review will first outline some of the historical beginnings of this research area and subsequently concentrate on the last 5 years of work. Based on the progress in therapeutic design, predictions can be made as to what the future holds for increasing the percentage of positive patient outcomes for optimized systems.