Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effect of cerium dioxide nanoparticles immobilized on the surface of silica nanoparticles in rat experimental pneumonia

In Situ Photoactivated Antibacterial and Antioxidant Composite Materials to Promote Bone Repair

Trauma and tumor removal usually cause bone defects; in addition, the related postoperative infection also shall be carefully considered clinically. In this study, polylactic acid (PLLA) composite fibers containing Cerium oxide (CeO2) are first prepared by electrospinning technology. Then, the PLLA/CeO2@PDA/Ag composite materials are successfully prepared by reducing silver ion (Ag+) to nano-silver (AgNPs)  coating in situ and binding AgNPs to the materials surface by mussel structure liked polydopamine (PDA). In the materials, Ag+ can be slowly released in simulated body fluids. Based on the photothermal performance of AgNPs, the photothermal conversion efficiency of the materials is 21%, under NIR 808 nm illumination. The effective photothermal conversion can help materials fighting with E. coli and S. aureus in 3 h, with an antibacterial rate of 100%. Additionally, the sustained Ag+ release contributes to the antibacterial in long term. Meanwhile, the materials can mimic the bio-behavior of superoxide dismutase and catalase in decreasing the singlet oxygen level and removing the excess reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the materials are beneficial for cell proliferation and osteogenic differentiation in vitro. In this study, a promising bone-regenerated material with high photothermal conversion efficiency and antibacterial and anti-oxidation properties, is successfully constructed.

Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate attenuates lipopolysacharide-induced pneumonia via modification of inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy

BACKGROUND

Pneumonia, the acute inflammation of lung tissue, is multi-factorial in etiology. Hence, continuous studies are conducted to determine the mechanisms involved in the progression of the disease and subsequently suggest effective treatment. The present study attempted to evaluate the effects of Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate (EGCG), an herbal antioxidant, on inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and autophagy in a rat pneumonia model.

METHODS

Forty male Wistar rats, 5 months old and 250-290 g were divided into four groups including control, EGCG, experimental pneumonia (i/p LPS injection, 1 mg/kg), and experimental pneumonia treated with EGCG (i/p, 15 mg/kg, 1 h before and 3 h after LPS instillation). Total cell number in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, inflammation (TNF-a, Il-6, IL-1β, and NO), oxidative stress (Nrf2, HO-1, SOD, CAT, GSH, GPX, MDA, and TAC), apoptosis (BCL-2, BAX, CASP-3 and CASP-9), and autophagy (mTOR, LC3, BECN1) were evaluated.

RESULTS

The findings demonstrated that EGCG suppresses the LPS-induced activation of inflammatory pathways by a significant reduction of inflammatory markers (p-value < 0.001). In addition, the upregulation of BCL-2 and downregulation of BAX and caspases revealed that EGCG suppressed LPS-induced apoptosis. Furthermore, ECGC suppressed oxidative injury while promoting autophagy in rats with pneumonia (p-value < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The current study revealed that EGCG could suppress inflammation, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and promote autophagy in experimental pneumonia models of rats suggesting promising therapeutical properties of this compound to be used in pneumonia management.

Nanotechnology-based theranostic and prophylactic approaches against SARS-CoV-2

SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic has been an unpredicted burden on global healthcare system by infecting over 700 million individuals, with approximately 6 million deaths worldwide. COVID-19 significantly impacted all sectors, but it very adversely affected the healthcare system. These effects were much more evident in the resource limited part of the world. Individuals with acute conditions were also severely impacted. Although classical COVID-19 diagnostics such as RT-PCR and rapid antibody testing have played a crucial role in reducing the spread of infection, these diagnostic techniques are associated with certain limitations. For instance, drawback of RT-PCR diagnostics is that due to degradation of viral RNA during shipping, it can give false negative results. Also, rapid antibody testing majorly depends on the phase of infection and cannot be performed on immune compromised individuals. These limitations in current diagnostic tools require the development of nanodiagnostic tools for early detection of COVID-19 infection. Therefore, the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak has necessitated the development of specific, responsive, accurate, rapid, low-cost, and simple-to-use diagnostic tools at point of care. In recent years, early detection has been a challenge for several health diseases that require prompt attention and treatment. Disease identification at an early stage, increased imaging of inner health issues, and ease of diagnostic processes have all been established using a new discipline of laboratory medicine called nanodiagnostics, even before symptoms have appeared. Nanodiagnostics refers to the application of nanoparticles (material with size equal to or less than 100 nm) for medical diagnostic purposes. The special property of nanomaterials compared to their macroscopic counterparts is a lesser signal loss and an enhanced electromagnetic field. Nanosize of the detection material also enhances its sensitivity and increases the signal to noise ratio. Microchips, nanorobots, biosensors, nanoidentification of single-celled structures, and microelectromechanical systems are some of the most modern nanodiagnostics technologies now in development. Here, we have highlighted the important roles of nanotechnology in healthcare sector, with a detailed focus on the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. We outline the different types of nanotechnology-based diagnostic devices for SARS-CoV-2 and the possible applications of nanomaterials in COVID-19 treatment. We also discuss the utility of nanomaterials in formulating preventive strategies against SARS-CoV-2 including their use in manufacture of protective equipment, formulation of vaccines, and strategies for directly hindering viral infection. We further discuss the factors hindering the large-scale accessibility of nanotechnology-based healthcare applications and suggestions for overcoming them.

Exploration of inorganic nanoparticles for revolutionary drug delivery applications: a critical review

The nanosystems for delivering drugs which have evolved with time, are being designed for greater drug efficiency and lesser side-effects, and are also complemented by the advancement of numerous innovative materials. In comparison to the organic nanoparticles, the inorganic nanoparticles are stable, have a wide range of physicochemical, mechanical, magnetic, and optical characteristics, and also have the capability to get modified using some ligands to enrich their attraction towards the molecules at the target site, which makes them appealing for bio-imaging and drug delivery applications. One of the strong benefits of using the inorganic nanoparticles-drug conjugate is the possibility of delivering the drugs to the affected cells locally, thus reducing the side-effects like cytotoxicity, and facilitating a higher efficacy of the therapeutic drug. This review features the direct and indirect effects of such inorganic nanoparticles like gold, silver, graphene-based, hydroxyapatite, iron oxide, ZnO, and CeO2 nanoparticles in developing effective drug carrier systems. This article has remarked the peculiarities of these nanoparticle-based systems in pulmonary, ocular, wound healing, and antibacterial drug deliveries as well as in delivering drugs across Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB) and acting as agents for cancer theranostics. Additionally, the article sheds light on the plausible modifications that can be carried out on the inorganic nanoparticles, from a researcher's perspective, which could open a new pathway.

The Impressive Anti-Inflammatory Activity of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles: More than Redox?

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are biocompatible nanozymes exerting multifunctional biomimetic activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, glutathione peroxidase, photolyase, and phosphatase. SOD- and catalase-mimesis depend on Ce3+/Ce4+ redox switch on nanoparticle surface, which allows scavenging the most noxious reactive oxygen species in a self-regenerating, energy-free manner. As oxidative stress plays pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders, CNPs have recently attracted attention as potential anti-inflammatory agents. A careful survey of the literature reveals that CNPs, alone or as constituents of implants and scaffolds, strongly contrast chronic inflammation (including neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, liver steatosis, gastrointestinal disorders), infections, and trauma, thereby ameliorating/restoring organ function. By general consensus, CNPs inhibit inflammation cues while boosting the pro-resolving anti-inflammatory signaling pathways. The mechanism of CNPs' anti-inflammatory effects has hardly been investigated, being rather deductively attributed to CNP-induced ROS scavenging. However, CNPs are multi-functional nanozymes that exert additional bioactivities independent from the Ce3+/Ce4+ redox switch, such as phosphatase activity, which could conceivably mediate some of the anti-inflammatory effects reported, suggesting that CNPs fight inflammation via pleiotropic actions. Since CNP anti-inflammatory activity is potentially a pharmacological breakthrough, it is important to precisely attribute the described effects to one or another of their nanozyme functions, thus achieving therapeutic credibility.

TiO2, CeO2, and TiO2-CeO2 nanoparticles incorporated 2.5D chitosan hydrogels: Gelation behavior and cytocompatibility

In this study, gelation behavior and cytocompatibility of 2.5D chitosan hydrogels were investigated in the presence of TiO2, CeO2 and TiO2-CeO2 composite nanoparticles. Chemical co-precipitation method was used for nanoparticle synthesis and they were heat treated at 600 °C and 700 °C. Gelation of the chitosan solutions was carried out at 37 °C in the presence of glycerol phosphate and genipin as crosslinkers. The gelation time of chitosan was decreased by all of the nanoparticles whereas its elastic modulus was increased by nanoparticles addition. Chitosan solutions containing CeO2 or TiO2-CeO2 nanoparticles showed faster gel formation compared to chitosan solutions containing only TiO2 nanoparticles. CeO2@700 °C nanoparticles decreased the gelation time by 46% and increased elastic modulus by 14%. Average pore diameter of the hydrogel decreased from 127 ± 62 μm to 77 ± 33 μm, water uptake decreased 21% and thermal stability increased in the presence of CeO2@700 °C nanoparticles compared to chitosan hydrogel. Cell viability results indicated that chitosan hydrogels with or without nanoparticles created 2.5D environment supporting cellular proliferation approximately 1.5 times more than TCPS due to their high porous surfaces. Immunofluorescence images were also supported cell viability results. Therefore, CeO2 or TiO2-CeO2 composite nanoparticles incorporated 2.5D chitosan hydrogels may be alternative tissue engineering materials with their fast gelation, ease of use, low cost, light transparency, and cytocompatibility.

Lessons from the history of inorganic nanoparticles for inhalable diagnostics and therapeutics

The respiratory tract is one of the most accessible ones to exogenous nanoparticles, yet drug delivery by their means to it is made extraordinarily challenging because of the plexus of aerodynamic, hemodynamic and biomolecular factors at cellular and extracellular levels that synergistically define the safety and efficacy of this process. Here, the use of inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) for inhalable diagnostics and therapies of the lung is viewed through the prism of the history of studies on the interaction of INPs with the lower respiratory tract. The most conceptually and methodologically innovative and illuminative studies are referred to in the chronological order, as they were reported in the literature, and the trends in the progress of understanding this interaction of immense therapeutic and toxicological significance are being deduced from it. The most outstanding actual trends delineated include the diminishment of toxicity via surface functionalization, cell targeting, tagging and tracking via controlled binding and uptake, hybrid INP treatments, magnetic guidance, combined drug and gene delivery, use as adjuvants in inhalable vaccines, and other. Many of the understudied research directions, which have been accomplished by the nanostructured organic polymers in the pulmonary niche, are discussed. The progress in the use of INPs as inhalable diagnostics or therapeutics has been hampered by their well-recognized inflammatory potential and toxicity in the respiratory tract. However, the annual numbers of methodologically innovative studies have been on the rise throughout the past two decades, suggesting that this is a prolific direction of research, its comparatively poor commercial takings notwithstanding. Still, the lack of consensus on the effects of many INP compositions at low but therapeutically effective doses, the plethora of contradictory reports on ostensibly identical chemical compositions and NP properties, and the many cases of antagonism in combinatorial NP treatments imply that the rational design of inhalable medical devices based on INPs must rely on qualitative principles for the most part and embrace a partially stochastic approach as well. At the same time, the fact that the most studied INPs for pulmonary applications have been those with some of the thickest records of pulmonary toxicity, e.g., carbon, silver, gold, silica and iron oxide, is a silent call for the expansion of the search for new inorganic compositions for use in inhalable therapies to new territories.

Chitosan Composites with Bacterial Cellulose Nanofibers Doped with Nanosized Cerium Oxide: Characterization and Cytocompatibility Evaluation

In this work, new composite films were prepared by incorporating the disintegrated bacterial cellulose (BCd) nanofibers and cerium oxide nanoparticles into chitosan (CS) matrices. The influence of the amount of nanofillers on the structure and properties of the polymer composites and the specific features of the intermolecular interactions in the materials were determined. An increase in film stiffness was observed as a result of reinforcing the CS matrix with BCd nanofibers: the Young’s modulus increased from 4.55 to 6.3 GPa with the introduction of 5% BCd. A further increase in Young’s modulus of 6.7 GPa and a significant increase in film strength (22% increase in yield stress compared to the CS film) were observed when the BCd concentration was increased to 20%. The amount of nanosized ceria affected the structure of the composite, followed by a change in the hydrophilic properties and texture of the composite films. Increasing the amount of nanoceria to 8% significantly improved the biocompatibility of the films and their adhesion to the culture of mesenchymal stem cells. The obtained nanocomposite films combine a number of favorable properties (good mechanical strength in dry and swollen states, improved biocompatibility in relation to the culture of mesenchymal stem cells), which allows us to recommend them for use as a matrix material for the culture of mesenchymal stem cells and wound dressings.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles protect against chondrocytes and cartilage explants from oxidative stress via Nrf2/HO-1 pathway in temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis

Oxidative stress is closely linked to the etiology of temporomandibular joint osteoarthritis. (TMJ-OA) and is an important therapeutic target. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) have been broadly studied owing to their powerful antioxidant properties and potential preventive and therapeutic effects against chronic diseases. The current study was designed to explore the protective effects of CNPs on the progression of TMJ-OA and their potential mechanisms. We detected the ability of CNPs to eliminate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in chondrocytes. Moreover, their protective effects on chondrocytes were detected in the level of gene and protein. Furthermore, TUNEL assay, histology and safranin O-fast green staining were used to detect the beneficial effects of CNPs on cartilage explants. The mechanism of CNPs, protecting condylar cartilage by reducing inflammation, was further explored by knocking down the Nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) gene. CNPs could reduce the ROS levels in chondrocytes and cartilage explants and reverse the IL-1β-induced imbalance of cartilage matrix metabolism and apoptosis. The protective effects of CNPs on cartilage were lost after key antioxidant factors including Nrf2 and heme-oxygenase 1(HO-1) were significantly reduced. In conclusion, this study demonstrated for the first time that activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway by CNPs might have therapeutic potential for TMJ-OA.

Penetration and translocation of functional inorganic nanomaterials into biological barriers

With excellent physicochemical properties, inorganic nanomaterials (INMs) have exhibited a series of attractive applications in biomedical fields. Biological barriers prevent successful delivery of nanomedicine in living systems that limits the development of nanomedicine especially for sufficient delivery of drugs and effective therapy. Numerous researches have focused on overcoming these biological barriers and homogeneity of organisms to enhance therapeutic efficacy, however, most of these strategies fail to resolve these challenges. In this review, we present the latest progress about how INMs interact with biological barriers and penetrate these barriers. We also summarize that both native structure and components of biological barriers and physicochemical properties of INMs contributed to the penetration capacity. Knowledge about the relationship between INMs structure and penetration capacity will guide the design and application of functional and efficient nanomedicine in the future.

Pharmacologic therapies of ARDS: From natural herb to nanomedicine

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a common critical illness in respiratory care units with a huge public health burden. Despite tremendous advances in the prevention and treatment of ARDS, it remains the main cause of intensive care unit (ICU) management, and the mortality rate of ARDS remains unacceptably high. The poor performance of ARDS is closely related to its heterogeneous clinical syndrome caused by complicated pathophysiology. Based on the different pathophysiology phases, drugs, protective mechanical ventilation, conservative fluid therapy, and other treatment have been developed to serve as the ARDS therapeutic methods. In recent years, there has been a rapid development in nanomedicine, in which nanoparticles as drug delivery vehicles have been extensively studied in the treatment of ARDS. This study provides an overview of pharmacologic therapies for ARDS, including conventional drugs, natural medicine therapy, and nanomedicine. Particularly, we discuss the unique mechanism and strength of nanomedicine which may provide great promises in treating ARDS in the future.

Applications of nanomaterials in COVID-19 pandemic

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic represents one of the biggest global health threats in the last two decades, so researchers around the world are searching for solutions and treatments for COVID-19. At the time of writing, there are no specific drugs that have demonstrated suitable effectiveness in treating COVID-19. The current challenge involves designing tools for the prevention, rapid and accurate diagnosis, drug delivery, and effective treatment of this novel coronavirus. In this short review, we discuss how nanotechnology offers new ways to combat COVID-19, and how nanomaterials can be applied to control the COVID-19 outbreak. We also summarize relevant studies regarding the use of nanomaterials for preventing viral spread, preparing vaccines, and diagnosing coronavirus, as well as studies that show how nanoparticles can be used as drug delivery systems for the treatment of viral infections. Research on nanotechnology-based diagnosis, drug delivery, and antiviral therapy is currently in the early stages. However, the unique chemical properties of some nanomaterials highlight the broad prospect of nanomaterials in the future, and we propose that they will play an important role in the fight against COVID-19.

Inflammation-modulating nanoparticles for pneumonia therapy

Pneumonia is a common but serious infectious disease, and is the sixth leading cause for death. The foreign pathogens such as viruses, fungi, and bacteria establish an inflammation response after interaction with lung, leading to the filling of bronchioles and alveoli with fluids. Although the pharmacotherapies have shown their great effectiveness to combat pathogens, advanced methods are under developing to treat complicated cases such as virus-infection and lung inflammation or acute lung injury (ALI). The inflammation modulation nanoparticles (NPs) can effectively suppress immune cells and inhibit inflammatory molecules in the lung site, and thereby alleviate pneumonia and ALI. In this review, the pathological inflammatory microenvironments in pneumonia, which are instructive for the design of biomaterials therapy, are summarized. The focus is then paid to the inflammation-modulating NPs that modulate the inflammatory cells, cytokines and chemokines, and microenvironments of pneumonia for better therapeutic effects. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Respiratory Disease.

Nanoceria, the versatile nanoparticles: Promising biomedical applications

Nanotechnology has been a boon for the biomedical field due to the freedom it provides for tailoring of pharmacokinetic properties of different drug molecules. Nanomedicine is the medical application of nanotechnology for the diagnosis, treatment and/or management of the diseases. Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) are metal oxide-based nanoparticles (NPs) which possess outstanding reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging activities primarily due to the availability of "oxidation switch" on their surface. These NP have been found to protect from a number of disorders with a background of oxidative stress such as cancer, diabetes etc. In fact, the CNPs have been found to possess the environment-dependent ROS modulating properties. In addition, the inherent catalase, SOD, oxidase, peroxidase and phosphatase mimetic properties of CNPs provide them superiority over a number of NPs. Further, chemical reactivity of CNPs seems to be a function of their surface chemistry which can be precisely tuned by defect engineering. However, the contradictory reports make it necessary to critically evaluate the potential of CNPs, in the light of available literature. The review is aimed at probing the feasibility of CNPs to push towards the clinical studies. Further, we have also covered and censoriously discussed the suspected negative impacts of CNPs before making our way to a consensus. This review aims to be a comprehensive, authoritative, critical, and accessible review of general interest to the scientific community.

The therapeutic effect of cerium oxide nanoparticle on ischaemia/reperfusion injury in rat testis

Testicular torsion is a dangerous urogenital disorder which is caused by twisting of spermatic cord, and unless immediate treatments happen at a proper time, oxidative stress, occurred during ischaemia reperfusion, finally leads to irreversible disintegration of testicular tissue. One of the first preventive lines is to administrate antioxidant factors. In the present study, we investigate the therapeutic effect of cerium oxide nanoparticle on the injury. We divided 45 rats into nine groups, subjected eight groups to testicular torsion-detorsion, injected different doses of cerium oxide nanoparticle into the peritoneum of six groups and analysed all the groups regarding spermatogenetic indices including sperm count, sperm viability and Johnson mean. Our results showed that cerium oxide nanoparticle can alleviate oxidative stress in testis, and this alleviation promotes the reproductive indices as the concentration of cerium oxide nanoparticles increases. The catalase-mimetic and superoxide dismutase-mimetic activities of cerium oxide nanoparticle are the most probable theories to explain the antioxidant effect of the nanoparticle.

Bioinspired Heteromultivalent Chitosan-α-Fe₂O₃/Gadofullerene Hybrid Composite for Enhanced Antibiotic-Resistant Bacterial Pneumonia

Herein, we have designed and developed a heteromultivalent chitosan base α-Fe₂O₃/Gadofullerene (GdF) hybrid composite through a simple chemical precipitation method. Unlike other methods, the addition of external stabilizing agents to generate GdF nanoparticles (NPs) was not necessary herein. The prepared chitosan-α-Fe₂O₃/GdF hybrid nanocomposites were characterized using UV, FT-IR, XRD and morphological microscopic analyses. The results showed that α-Fe₂O₃ and GdF hybrid nanocomposites were successfully grown on the surface of chitosan. The FT-IR vibration peaks showed the formation of Fe₂O₃ NPs, and the vibration peak for Fe-O was 568 cm^-1. The broad absorption peak observed in the range of 250-350 nm and a sharp absorption peak at 219 nm represents the UV absorption of the synthesized hybrid composites. XRD pattern showed sharp peaks of crystallinity and purity of α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. Finally, the synthesized chitosan-α-Fe₂O₃/GdF hybrid composites were screened for their antibacterial resistance against the Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacilus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aereus. In addition, in vitro biocompatibility results exhibited that developed hybrid samples have provided high cell compatibility with fibroblast (L929) cell line. The in vivo bio inspired nanotherapeutics have the potential action to effective inhibition ability on antibiotic-resistant P. aeruginosa, which has been main factor of inducing pneumonia. In conclusion, we expect biomimicking systems combined with the effective antibacterial agent could be the suitable next generation therapeutic potential factors for prevention and treatment of antibiotic-resistant pneumonia.

Recent advances in cell membrane-camouflaged nanoparticles for inflammation therapy

During inflammation, inflammatory cells are rapidly recruited to sites of infection or injury, where they cross physiological barriers around the infected site and further infiltrate into the tissues. Other cells, such as erythrocytes, endothelial cells and stem cells, also play prominent roles in host defense and tissue repair. In recent years, nanotechnology has been exploited to deliver drugs to sites of inflammation. For example, nanoparticles camouflaged with a cell membrane are a novel drug-delivery platform that can interact with the immune system and that show great potential for treating inflammation. Encapsulating drugs inside plasma membranes derived from various cells involved in inflammatory processes can be effective against inflammation. This review describes the preparation, characterization, and properties of various types of cell membrane-camouflaged biomimetic nanoparticles. It also summarizes preclinical research into their efficacy against inflammation.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles acts as a novel therapeutic agent for ulcerative colitis through anti-oxidative mechanism

BACKGROUND

Cerium (IV) oxide (CeO₂) exhibit anti-inflammatory activity via scavenge free radicals and decreasing the oxygen species (ROS) production. Here we aimed to exhibit the therapeutic effect of this nanoparticle in experimental colitis models.

METHODS

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeONPs) were synthesized via using UiO-66 as a precursor. We used dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) to induce colitis in experimental models to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of CeONPs. Colitis models are divided into four groups to receive the treatment, including control, colitis, cerium oxide, and sulfasalazine. We evaluated the therapeutic effects of CeONPs for the increased colitis clinical symptoms and attenuated the histological damage to colon tissue in colitis.

RESULT

This nanoparticle was significantly able to reduce the clinical symptoms of colitis. Moreover, CeONPs can enhance the disease activity index such as body lose weight, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, colon length, and spleen weight. Moreover, CeONPs showed a significant reduction in the histological characteristics of the colitis models.

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that CeONPs can be considered as promising therapeutic agents in treating the ulcerative colitis.

Nanomedicine-Based Therapeutics to Combat Acute Lung Injury

Acute lung injury (ALI) or its aggravated stage acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) may lead to a life-threatening form of respiratory failure, resulting in high mortality of up to 30-40% in most studies. Although there have been decades of research since ALI was first described in 1967, the clinical therapeutic alternatives for ALI are still in a state of limited availability. Supportive treatment and mechanical ventilation still have priority. Despite some preclinical studies demonstrating the benefit of pharmacological interventions, none of these has been proved completely effective to date. Recent advances in nanotechnology may shed new light on the pharmacotherapy of ALI. Nanomedicine possesses targeting and synergistic therapeutic capability, thus boosting pharmaceutical efficacy and mitigating the side effects. Currently, a variety of nanomedicine with diverse frameworks and functional groups have been elaborately developed, in accordance with their lung targeting ability and the pathophysiology of ALI. The in-depth review of the current literature reveals that liposomes, polymers, inorganic materials, cell membranes, platelets, and other nanomedicine approaches have conferred attractive therapeutic benefits for ALI treatment. In this review, we explore the recent progress in the study of the nanomedicine-based therapy of ALI, presenting various nanomedical approaches, drug choices, therapeutic strategies, and outcomes, thereby providing insight into the trends.

Insights from nanotechnology in COVID-19 treatment

In just a few months, SARS-CoV-2 and the disease it causes, COVID-19, created a worldwide pandemic. Virologists, biologists, pharmacists, materials scientists, and clinicians are collaborating to develop efficient treatment strategies. Overall, in addition to the use of clinical equipment to assist patient rehabilitation, antiviral drugs and vaccines are the areas of greatest focus. Given the physical size of SARS-CoV-2 and the vaccine delivery platforms currently in clinical trials, the relevance of nanotechnology is clear, and previous antiviral research using nanomaterials also supports this connection. Herein we briefly summarize current representative strategies regarding nanomaterials in antiviral research. We focus specifically on SARS-CoV-2 and the detailed role that nanotechnology can play in addressing this pandemic, including i) using FDA-approved nanomaterials for drug/vaccine delivery, including further exploration of the inhalation pathway; ii) introducing promising nanomaterials currently in clinical trials for drug/vaccine delivery; iii) designing novel biocompatible nanomaterials to combat the virus via interfering in its life cycle; and iv) promoting the utilization of nanomaterials in pneumonia treatment.

Prevention and treatment of radiation-induced lung injury

Radiation-induced lung injury (RILI) is a common complication in cancer patients receiving local thoracic radiation and bone marrow transplantation conditioning. It is divided into early-stage radiation pneumonitis and advanced radiation fibrosis of the lung. This severely hampers the quality of life and survival of cancer patients. Meanwhile, RILI is a major factor limiting radiation doses in clinical practice, which affects the local control of cancer. Unfortunately, the mechanism of RILI is still not well defined, and there are no treatment options available for these patients. In this review we summarize the methods and agents used for the treatment and prevention of RILI, with the aim of increasing understanding of RILI.

Assessment of pulmonary toxicity of potential antioxidant drug PEGylated nanoceria after intratracheal instillation in rats

Cerium oxide (CeO₂ ) nanoparticles have unique redox properties and exert excellent antioxidant effects in the biological environment. In recent years, many researchers have focused on the CeO₂ nanoparticles as an effective antioxidant drug in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. However, the toxicity of CeO₂ nanoparticles in vivo remains controversial and still needs intensive research. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the pulmonary and systemic toxicity in rats after 14 days of exposure to the PEGylated CeO₂ nanoparticles (abbreviated as CNPs; exposure dose of 2, 10, or 20 mg/kg) through a single intratracheal instillation (IT). We assessed the indicators of lung injury and the pathological damage degree of lung tissue. The bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) analysis and lung histopathology revealed the occurrence of slight pulmonary inflammation in the 20-mg/kg experimental group rats. However, the inflammation factors in the lung tissue of every group rats did not significantly increase, and the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) in lung tissue homogenate rose considerably in the experimental groups. Collectively, these results indicated that pulmonary exposure by the high dose of CNPs could induce mild pulmonary inflammation but did not cause severe systemic toxicity. Moreover, we speculate that the mechanism of pulmonary toxicity of CNPs in rats was due to the autophagic death of healthy lung epithelial cells mediated by endoplasmic reticulum stress. Our results implicate that CNPs can be safely used as an antioxidant drug for the oxidative stress pulmonary diseases.

UHPLC-MS-Based Metabolomics Analysis Reveals the Process of Schistosomiasis in Mice

Metabolomics, as an emerging technology, has been demonstrated to be a very powerful tool in the study of the host metabolic responses to infections by parasites. Schistosomiasis is a parasitic infection caused by schistosoma worm via the direct contact with the water containing cercaria, among which Schistosoma japonicum (S. japonicum) is endemic in Asia. In order to characterize the schistosome-induced changes in the host metabolism and further to develop the strategy for early diagnosis of schistosomiasis, we performed comprehensive LC-MS-based metabolomics analysis of serum from mice infected by S. japonicum for 5 weeks. With the developed diagnosis strategy based on our metabolomics data, we were able to successfully detect schistosomiasis at the first week post-infection, which was 3 weeks earlier than "gold standard" methods and 2 weeks earlier than the methods based on 1H NMR spectroscopy. Our metabolomics study revealed that S. japonicum infection induced the metabolic changes involved in a variety of metabolic pathways including amino acid metabolism, DNA and RNA biosynthesis, phospholipid metabolism, depression of energy metabolism, glucose uptake and metabolism, and disruption of gut microbiota metabolism. In addition, we identified seventeen specific metabolites whose down-regulated profiles were closely correlated with the time-course of schistosomiasis progression and can also be used as an indicator for the worm-burdens. Interestingly, the decrease of these seventeen metabolites was particularly remarkable at the first week post-infection. Thus, our findings on mechanisms of host-parasite interaction during the disease process pave the way for the development of an early diagnosis tool and provide more insightful understandings of the potential metabolic process associated with schistosomiasis in mice. Furthermore, the diagnosis strategy developed in this work is cost-effective and is superior to other currently used diagnosis methods.

Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles: Recent Advances in Tissue Engineering

Submicron biomaterials have recently been found with a wide range of applications for biomedical purposes, mostly due to a considerable decrement in size and an increment in surface area. There have been several attempts to use innovative nanoscale biomaterials for tissue repair and tissue regeneration. One of the most significant metal oxide nanoparticles (NPs), with numerous potential uses in future medicine, is engineered cerium oxide (CeO2) nanoparticles (CeONPs), also known as nanoceria. Although many advancements have been reported so far, nanotoxicological studies suggest that the nanomaterial's characteristics lie behind its potential toxicity. Particularly, physicochemical properties can explain the positive and negative interactions between CeONPs and biosystems at molecular levels. This review represents recent advances of CeONPs in biomedical engineering, with a special focus on tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. In addition, a summary report of the toxicity evidence on CeONPs with a view toward their biomedical applications and physicochemical properties is presented. Considering the critical role of nanoengineering in the manipulation and optimization of CeONPs, it is expected that this class of nanoengineered biomaterials plays a promising role in the future of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Recent Advances in Nanotheranostics for Treat-to-Target of Rheumatoid Arthritis

Early diagnosis, standardized treatment, and regular monitoring are the clinical treatment principle of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The overarching principles and recommendations of treat-to-target (T2T) in RA advocate remission as the optimum aim, especially for patients with very early disease who are initiating therapy with anti-RA medications. However, traditional anti-RA drugs cannot selectively target the inflammatory areas and may cause serious side effects due to its short biological half-life and poor bioavailability. These limitations have significantly driven the research and application of nanomaterial-based drugs in theranostics of RA. Nanomedicines have appropriate sizes and easily modified surfaces which can enhance their biological compatibility and prolong circulation time of drug-loading systems in vivo. Traditional T2T regimens cannot evaluate the efficacy of drugs in real time, while clinical drug nanosizing can realize the integration of diagnosis and treatment of RA. This review bridges clinically proposed T2T concepts and nanomedicine in an integrated system for RA early-stage diagnosis and treatment. The most advanced progress in various nanodrug delivery systems for theranostics of RA is summarized, establishing a clear path and a new perspective for further optimization of T2T. Finally, the key facing challenges are discussed and prospects are addressed.

Metal Oxide Nanoparticles in Therapeutic Regulation of Macrophage Functions

Macrophages are components of the innate immune system that control a plethora of biological processes. Macrophages can be activated towards pro-inflammatory (M1) or anti-inflammatory (M2) phenotypes depending on the cue; however, polarization may be altered in bacterial and viral infections, cancer, or autoimmune diseases. Metal (zinc, iron, titanium, copper, etc.) oxide nanoparticles are widely used in therapeutic applications as drugs, nanocarriers, and diagnostic tools. Macrophages can recognize and engulf nanoparticles, while the influence of macrophage-nanoparticle interaction on cell polarization remains unclear. In this review, we summarize the molecular mechanisms that drive macrophage activation phenotypes and functions upon interaction with nanoparticles in an inflammatory microenvironment. The manifold effects of metal oxide nanoparticles on macrophages depend on the type of metal and the route of synthesis. While largely considered as drug transporters, metal oxide nanoparticles nevertheless have an immunotherapeutic potential, as they can evoke pro- or anti-inflammatory effects on macrophages and become essential for macrophage profiling in cancer, wound healing, infections, and autoimmunity.

Novel insights into the role of LRRC8A in ameliorating alveolar fluid clearance in LPS induced acute lung injury

Leucine-rich repeat-containing 8A (LRRC8A) protein was recently identified as an essential component of volume-regulated anion channel which plays a central role in maintaining cell volume. The aim of this study was to elucidate the role of LRRC8A in alveolar fluid clearance (AFC) and the effect of inflammatory cytokines on LRRC8A and the underlying mechanism. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was used to generate a rat acute lung injury model. The results showed that the concentrations of IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid increased significantly, but the expression of LRRC8A in the lung tissue decreased dramatically in the acute lung injury group followed by a decline in the AFC rate. Additionally, LRRC8A knockdown reduced AFC in normal rats. However, specific overexpression of LRRC8A in the lung could increase AFC. Furthermore, we observed the effects of LPS, IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6 on the LRRC8A current in alveolar type II (ATII) cells, and IL-1β showed the greatest inhibition among them, which was involved in phospho-p38 activation. Overall, LRRC8A plays an essential role in the progression of AFC in LPS-induced acute lung injury, and chronic treatment with IL-1β or TNF-α could inhibit the function of LRRC8A in ATII cells by targeting phospho-p38. All of the findings suggested that LRRC8A could be a new partner in AFC and a potential target for the treatment of acute lung injury.

Antioxidant and toxicity studies of biosynthesized cerium oxide nanoparticles in rats

PURPOSE

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute toxic potential of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CNPs) synthesized by pullulan in adult male Wistar rats.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Thirty male Wistar rats randomly were divided into five experimental groups of six animals each. The animals were received 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg CNPs for 14 consecutive days. At the end of the experiment, the rats were euthanized and histopathological evaluation of the liver and renal tissues, as well ass, the markers of serum oxidative stress including thiobarbituric acid reactive substances, total sulfhydryl content, and antioxidant capacity (using ferric reducing/antioxidant power assay) were assessed. Hematological parameters and the activity of liver function enzymes were also measured.

RESULTS

The results of this study showed that CNPs caused no significant changes in the activity of liver enzymes, hepatic and renal histopathology and hematological parameters, while significantly improved serum redox status.

CONCLUSION

Acute administration of pullulan-mediated CNPs is safe and possess antioxidant activity.

Hydroxytyrosol Exerts Anti-Inflammatory and Anti-Oxidant Activities in a Mouse Model of Systemic Inflammation

Hydroxytyrosol (3,4-dihydroxyphenil-ethanol, HT), the major phenol derived from olive oil consumption, has shown different anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant activities in vitro which may explain the chronic-degenerative diseases preventive properties of olive oil. The aim of this study was to examine the ability of HT reduce inflammatory markers, Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX2) and Tumour Necrosis Factor alfa (TNF-α and oxidative stress in vivo on a mouse model of systemic inflammation. Balb/c mice were pre-treated with HT (40 and 80 mg/Kg b.w.) and then stimulated by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Blood was collected to measure COX2 gene expression by qPCR and TNF-α level by ELISA kit in plasma. In addition, the total anti-oxidant power of plasma and the DNA damage were measured by FRAP test and COMET assay, respectively. LPS increased the COX2 expression, the TNF-α production and the DNA damage. HT administration prevented all LPS-induced effects and improved the anti-oxidant power of plasma. HT demonstrated in vivo anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant abilities. The results may explain the health effects of olive oil in Mediterranean diet. HT represents an interesting molecule for the development of new nutraceuticals and functional food useful in chronic diseases prevention.