Glucose decorated gold nanoclusters: A membrane potential independent fluorescence probe for rapid identification of cancer cells expressing Glut receptors

Emerging trends on the uptake of fluorescent probes based on glucose analogs by cancer cells: From basic studies to therapeutics

The cancer cell metabolism, notably characterized by the Warburg effect, has been the focus of intense investigation regarding the mechanisms of the uptake of glucose analogs, opening up perspectives for diagnosis and treatment of cancer disease. In this review, we delve into the ever-evolving landscape of cancer research, centering on fluorescent probes based on glucose analogs. These analogs, resulting from modifications in the carbohydrate structure with functional groups, have stood out as versatile molecules in applications ranging from disease comprehension to therapeutic innovation, especially when combined with fluorescent compounds. Fluorescence-based assays have provided valuable contributions to the revelation of complex biological mechanisms in life sciences. This review presents selected studies from about the past six years up to 2024 related to the use of glucose-based fluorescent probes, for the investigation of their uptake profile as well as for therapeutic purposes. We believe that these investigations offer insights into the intricate interaction between glucose analogs and cancer cell metabolism, guiding future research and clinical applications in this field.

Paper immobilized BSA-decorated gold nanoclusters for single-step optical sensing of glucose and cholesterol without cross-reactivity

Minimally invasive methods for detecting glucose, cholesterol and hydrogen peroxide are crucial for monitoring the nutritional and health status of humans and animals. The peroxidase mimetic activity by nanozymes is one of the versatile methods for detecting glucose, cholesterol, hydrogen peroxide, and other biomolecules. However, the strict requirement of acidic pH limits their sensing and interfacing ability with natural enzymes. The present study developed bovine serum albumin (BSA) coated gold nanoclusters (AuNC) immobilized on paper fabric to enable single-step visual detection of glucose, cholesterol and hydrogen peroxide in complex biological fluids like serum and milk. The BSA-AuNC suspension and immobilized paper fabric synergistically interface with the natural oxidative enzymes, glucose oxidase or cholesterol oxidase, at physiological pH. The concomitant loss in the fluorescent intensity of BSA-AuNC-loaded paper fabric exposed to the generated hydrogen peroxide (glucose/glucose oxidase or cholesterol/cholesterol oxidase) was directly proportional to the concentration of glucose or cholesterol. These reactions enabled simple visual detection as well as quantification of hydrogen peroxide, glucose and cholesterol using Image-J software and common smartphone-based mobile applications. The detection ability of BSA-AuNC-embedded paper fabric is specific and remains unaltered in the presence of similar oxidase enzymes or similar substrate analogues. With these unique features, the BSA-AuNC embedded paper fabric stands out as a prominent analytical device with enormous potential as a simple, user-friendly detection tool for monitoring biomolecules that are important to health, nutrition, and environmental safeguarding.

Photoactive nanocatalysts as DTT-assisted BSA-AuNCs with enhanced oxidase-mimicking ability for sensitive fluorometric detection of antioxidants

Redox imbalance and oxidative stress are increasingly recognized as significant factors in health disorders such as neurodegenerative disorders, premature aging and cancer. However, detecting antioxidant levels that is crucial for managing oxidative stress, can be challenging due to existing assays' limitations, such as insensitivity to thiol-containing antioxidants. This study presents a simple fluorescence-based assay for antioxidant detection employing the enhanced photocatalytic oxidase-like activity of dithiothreitol (DTT)-assisted bovine serum albumin (BSA)-stabilized gold nanoclusters (DTT@BSA-AuNCs). The reported nanozyme exhibits remarkable stability, versatility, and catalytic activity. Under LED irradiation, DTT@BSA-AuNCs generate singlet oxygen, which converts non-fluorescent thiamine to fluorescent thiochrome, utilizing dissolved oxygen for catalysis. Antioxidants inhibit thiochrome formation, leading to fluorescence quenching. This method enables sensitive detection of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and glutathione with limits of detection of 0.08 µM and 0.32 µM, respectively, under neutral pH, outperforming previous studies. The assay successfully detects antioxidants in human saliva and cancer cell models. The DTT@BSA-AuNCs-based assay offers a cost-effective, sensitive, and straightforward approach for detecting antioxidants in biological samples, facilitating improved monitoring of oxidative stress in various diseases.

Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles from Polygahatous Polysaccharides and Their Anticancer Effect on Hepatic Carcinoma through Immunoregulation

Hepatic carcinoma is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among all cancers, but no effective treatment measures have been developed. Herein, polystyrene polysaccharide (PSP) extracted from Polygonatum was used to synthesize gold nanoparticles (PSP-AuNPs) by heating and reduction methods, and the characteristics of the PSP-AuNPs were detected after successful synthesis. In vitro, the immunoregulatory effects of PSP-AuNPs were studied by testing the concentrations of NO, TNF-α, and IL-12p70 in the culture media of PSP-AuNPs-treated RAW264.7 macrophages, and the effect of biocompatibility on the viability of RAW264.7 macrophages and L02 cells was studied via a CCK-8 assay. In vivo, tumor-bearing mice were established and treated with PSP-AuNPs, and the anticancer effects were studied by detecting trends in tumor volume, tumor inhibition rate, and tumor cell proliferation index. Immunoregulation was assessed by evaluating the serum levels of TNF-α and IL-10, the CD4+/CD8+ lymphocyte ratio in peripheral blood and the spleen and thymus indices; toxicity was investigated by measuring body weight, liver and renal function indices. The results showed that PSP-AuNPs could regulate immune function both in vitro and in vivo with almost no toxicity. PSP-AuNPs exhibited excellent anticancer effects on hepatic carcinoma in vivo. The anticancer effect could be strengthened, and the toxicity could be reduced by the combined use of PSP-AuNPs and ADM. In conclusion, PSP-AuNPs could be effective as a therapy and adjuvant therapy for treating hepatic carcinoma, providing potential treatment strategies for this disease.

Strain differences in the drug transport capacity of intestinal glucose transporters in Sprague-Dawley versus Wistar rats, C57BL/6J versus Kunming mice

Designing oral drug delivery systems using intestinal glucose transporters (IGTs) may be one of the strategies for improving oral bioavailability of drugs. However, little is known about the biological factors affecting the drug transport capacity of IGTs. Gastrodin is a sedative drug with a structure very similar to glucose. It is a highly water-soluble phenolic glucoside. It can hardly enter the intestine through simple diffusion but exhibits good oral bioavailability of over 80%. We confirmed that gastrodin is absorbed via the intestinal glucose transport pathway. It has the highest oral bioavailability among the reported glycosides' active ingredients through this pathway. Thus, gastrodin is the most selective drug substrate of IGTs and can be used to evaluate the drug transport capacity of IGTs. Obviously, strain is one of the main biological factors affecting drug absorption. This study firstly compared the drug transport capacity of IGTs between SD rats and Wistar rats and between C57 mice and KM mice by pharmacokinetic experiments and single-pass intestinal perfusion experiments of gastrodin. Then, the sodium-dependent glucose transporter type 1 (SGLT1) and sodium-independent glucose transporters type 2 (GLUT2) in the duodenum, jejunum, ileum and colon of these animals were quantified using RT-qPCR and Western blot. The results showed that the oral bioavailability of gastrodin in Wistar rats was significantly higher than in SD rats and significantly higher in KM mice than in C57 mice. Gastrodin absorption significantly differed among different intestinal segments in SD rats, C57 mice and KM mice, except Wistar rats. RT-qPCR and Western blot demonstrated that the intestinal expression distribution of SGLT1 and GLUT2 in SD rats and C57 mice was duodenum ≈ jejunum > ileum > colon. SGLT1 expression did not differ among different intestinal segments in KM mice, whereas the intestinal expression distribution of GLUT2 was duodenum ≈ jejunum ≈ ileum > colon. However, the expression of SGLT1 and GLUT2 did not differ among different intestinal segments in Wistar rats. It was reported that the intestinal expression distribution of SGLT1 and GLUT2 in humans is duodenum > jejunum > ileum > colon. Hence, the intestinal expression distribution of SGLT1 and GLUT2 of SD rats and C57 mice was more similar to that in humans. In conclusion, the drug transport capacity of IGTs differs in different strains of rats and mice. SD rats and C57 mice are more suitable for evaluating the pharmacokinetics of glycosides' active ingredients absorbed via the intestinal glucose transport pathway.

Ciliary Neurotrophic Factor Modulates Multiple Downstream Signaling Pathways in Prostate Cancer Inhibiting Cell Invasiveness

BACKGROUND

Prostate cancer (PCa) remains the most common diagnosed tumor and is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death in men. If the cancer is organ-confined it can be treated by various ablative therapies such as RP (radical prostatectomy), RT (radiation therapy), brachytherapy, cryosurgery or HIFU (High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound). However, advanced or metastatic PCa treatment requires systemic therapy involving androgen deprivation, but such patients typically progress to refractory disease designated as castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been established as a driver of prostate carcinogenesis and tumor progression while less is known about the role of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF), a member of the IL-6 cytokine family in prostate cancer. Moreover, MAPK/ERK, AKT/PI3K and Jak/STAT pathways that regulate proliferative, invasive and glucose-uptake processes in cancer progression are triggered by CNTF.

METHODS

We investigate CNTF and its receptor CNTFRα expressions in human androgen-responsive and castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) by immunohistochemistry. Moreover, we investigated the role of CNTF in proliferative, invasive processes as well as glucose uptake using two cell models mimicking the PCa (LNCaP cell line) and CRPC (22Rv1 cell line).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results showed that CNTF and CNTFRa were expressed in PCa and CRPC tissues and that CNTF has a pivotal role in prostate cancer environment remodeling and as a negative modulator of invasion processes of CRPC cell models.

Autophagy responsive intra-intercellular delivery nanoparticles for effective deep solid tumor penetration

Deep tumor cells (cells in the center of solid tumors) play a crucial role in drug tolerance, metastasis, recurrence and microenvironment immune suppression. However, their deep location endows them with an untouched abdomen and makes them refractory to current treatments. Herein, we exploited the characteristic of higher autophagy in deep tumor cells than in superficial tumor cells and designed autophagy-responsive multifunctional nanoparticles (PGN) to enhance drug accumulation in deep tumor cells. PGNs were prepared by densely coating poly (lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) with cationic autophagy-responsive cell-penetrating peptide (GR9) and anionic 2,3-dimethylmaleic anhydride (DMA)-modified DSPE-PEG. The suitable nanoparticle size (122.4 nm) and charge-neutral surface (0.21 mV) of the NPs enabled long blood circulation. The hydrolysis of surface-anchored anionic DMA in the acidic microenvironment led to the exposure of the GR9 peptide and enhance tumor penetration. Once the PGN arrived in deep tumor cells with strong autophagy, GR9 was cut off by an autophagy shear enzyme, and the nanoparticles remained in the cells to undergo degradation. Furthermore, we prepared docetaxel (DTX) and chloroquine (CQ) loaded d-PGN. CQ inhibits autophagosome fusion with lysosomes, resulting in autophagosome accumulation, which further enhances the sensitivity of d-PGN to autophagy and their deep tumor retention. In vivo experiments showed that drug-loaded d-PGN achieved excellent antitumor efficacy with a peak inhibition rate of 82.1%. In conclusion, autophagy-responsive multifunctional nanoparticles provide a novel potential strategy for solid tumor treatment.

Engineering Gold Nanostructures for Cancer Treatment: Spherical Nanoparticles, Nanorods, and Atomically Precise Nanoclusters

Cancer is a major global health issue and is a leading cause of mortality. It has been documented that various conventional treatments can be enhanced by incorporation with nanomaterials. Thanks to their rich optical properties, excellent biocompatibility, and tunable chemical reactivities, gold nanostructures have been gaining more and more research attention for cancer treatment in recent decades. In this review, we first summarize the recent progress in employing three typical gold nanostructures, namely spherical Au nanoparticles, Au nanorods, and atomically precise Au nanoclusters, for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. Following that, the challenges and the future perspectives of this field are discussed. Finally, a brief conclusion is summarized at the end.

The anticancer activity of doxorubicin-loaded levan-functionalized gold nanoparticles synthesized by laser ablation

Here, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were synthesized upon exposure to nano-pulsed Nd-YAG laser irradiation in de-ionized water (PLAL) and functionalized with levan polysaccharide for assessing the anticancer efficacy of doxorubicin (DOX)-conjugated levan-capped AuNPs complexes to MCF-7 breast cancer cells. According to the physicochemical test results, the increments in levan amount enhanced the colloidal stability and the drug encapsulation efficiency (DEE) significantly. For the 10L-AuNP group having the highest levan amount (10 mg/mL levan), DEE was calculated as 92.21 ± 0.56%. The lean levan, uncapped AuNPs, and 10L-AuNP were found non-cytotoxic (>80% cell viability) in the studied concentrations with 48 h MTT assays. At higher DOX loadings (25, 50, and 100 μg/mL) of 10L-AuNP, the cell viability reduced significantly compared to free DOX. Overall, these nanoparticle complexes could be proposed as potent drug delivery vehicles for cancer drugs such as DOX, as well as other drugs in the prospective studies.

A GLUT1 inhibitor-based probe significantly ameliorates the sensitivity of tumor detection and diagnostic imaging

We report a non-antibody GLUT1 inhibitor probe NBDQ that is 30 times more sensitive than the traditional GLUT1 transportable tracer for cancer cell imaging and Warburg effect-based tumor detection. NBDQ reveals significant advantages in terms of tumor selectivity, fluorescence stability and in vivo biocompatibility in xenograft tumor imaging, including triple-negative breast cancer.

Cytotoxicity and insulin resistance reversal ability of biofunctional phytosynthesized MgO nanoparticles

The present study investigates the cytotoxicity of hexagonal MgO nanoparticles synthesized via Amaranthus tricolor leaf extract and spherical MgO nanoparticles synthesized via Amaranthus blitum and Andrographis paniculata leaf extracts. In vitro cytotoxicity analysis showed that the hexagonal MgO nanoparticles synthesized from A. tricolor extract demonstrated the least toxicity to both diabetic and non-diabetic cells at 600 μl/ml dosage. The viability of the diabetic cells (3T3-L1) after incubation with varying dosages of MgO nanoparticles was observed to be 55.3%. The viability of normal VERO cells was 86.6% and this stabilized to about 75% even after exposure to MgO nanoparticles dosage of up to 1000 μl/ml. Colorimetric glucose assay revealed that the A. tricolor extract synthesized MgO nanoparticles resulted in ~ 28% insulin resistance reversal. A reduction in the expression of GLUT4 protein at 54 KDa after MgO nanopaSrticles incubation with diabetic cells was observed via western blot analysis to confirm insulin reversal ability. Fluorescence microscopic analysis with propidium iodide and acridine orange dyes showed the release of reactive oxygen species as a possible mechanism of the cytotoxic effect of MgO nanoparticles. It was inferred that the synergistic effect of the phytochemicals and MgO nanoparticles played a significant role in delivering enhanced insulin resistance reversal capability in adipose cells.

Recent advances in improving tumor-targeted delivery of imaging nanoprobes

Tumor-targeted delivery of imaging nanoprobes provides a promising approach for the precision imaging diagnosis of cancers. Nanoprobes with desired bio-nano interface properties can preferably enter tumor tissues through the vascular endothelium, penetrate into deep tissues, and detect target lesions. Surface engineering of nanoparticles offers a critical strategy to improve tumor-targeting capacities of nanoprobes. Improvements to the efficacy of targeted nanoprobes have been intensively explored and much of this work centers on the selection of suitable targeting ligands. Herein, in this review, various recent strategies based on different targeting ligands to improve tumor-targeting of imaging nanoprobes have been developed, ranging from small molecule ligands to biomimetic coatings, with highlights on emerging coating techniques using cell membranes and dual-targeting ligands. In particular, construction and surface modification methods, targeting capacities, and imaging/theranostic performance with key issues and potential questions have been described and discussed together with considerations for future development and innovations.

Imaging techniques in nanomedical research

About twenty years ago, nanotechnology began to be applied to biomedical issues giving rise to the research field called nanomedicine. Thus, the study of the interactions between nanomaterials and the biological environment became of primary importance in order to design safe and effective nanoconstructs suitable for diagnostic and/or therapeutic purposes. Consequently, imaging techniques have increasingly been used in the production, characterisation and preclinical/clinical application of nanomedical tools. This work aims at making an overview of the microscopy and imaging techniques in vivo and in vitro in their application to nanomedical investigation, and to stress their contribution to this developing research field.

Advances in Nanoparticles as Anticancer Drug Delivery Vector: Need of this Century

Background:

Nanotechnology has contributed a great deal to the field of medical science. Smart drugdelivery vectors, combined with stimuli-based characteristics, are becoming increasingly important. The use of external and internal stimulating factors can have enormous benefits and increase the targeting efficiency of nanotechnology platforms. The pH values of tumor vascular tissues are acidic in nature, allowing the improved targeting of anticancer drug payloads using drug-delivery vectors. Nanopolymers are smart drug-delivery vectors that have recently been developed and recommended for use by scientists because of their potential targeting capabilities, non-toxicity and biocompatibility, and make them ideal nanocarriers for personalized drug delivery.

Method:

The present review article provides an overview of current advances in the use of nanoparticles (NPs) as anticancer drug-delivery vectors.

Results:

This article reviews the molecular basis for the use of NPs in medicine, including personalized medicine, personalized therapy, emerging vistas in anticancer therapy, nanopolymer targeting, passive and active targeting transports, pH-responsive drug carriers, biological barriers, computer-aided drug design, future challenges and perspectives, biodegradability and safety.

Conclusions:

This article will benefit academia, researchers, clinicians, and government authorities by providing a basis for further research advancements.

Interactions Between Tumor Biology and Targeted Nanoplatforms for Imaging Applications

Although considerable efforts have been conducted to diagnose, improve, and treat cancer in the past few decades, existing therapeutic options are insufficient, as mortality and morbidity rates remain high. Perhaps the best hope for substantial improvement lies in early detection. Recent advances in nanotechnology are expected to increase the current understanding of tumor biology, and will allow nanomaterials to be used for targeting and imaging both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. Owing to their intrinsic physicochemical characteristics, nanostructures (NSs) are valuable tools that have received much attention in nanoimaging. Consequently, rationally designed NSs have been successfully employed in cancer imaging for targeting cancer-specific or cancer-associated molecules and pathways. This review categorizes imaging and targeting approaches according to cancer type, and also highlights some new safe approaches involving membrane-coated nanoparticles, tumor cell-derived extracellular vesicles, circulating tumor cells, cell-free DNAs, and cancer stem cells in the hope of developing more precise targeting and multifunctional nanotechnology-based imaging probes in the future.

Improved drug delivery and anti-tumor efficacy of combinatorial liposomal formulation of genistein and plumbagin by targeting Glut1 and Akt3 proteins in mice bearing prostate tumor

Despite the plethora of significant research progress made to develop novel strategies for the treatment of prostate cancer, this disease remains one of the major global health challenges among men. However, using a co-treatment approach utilizing two or more anticancer drugs has shown tremendous success in the treatment of many cancer types. Nanoliposomes are well known to encapsulate multiple drugs and deliver them at the desired site. In this work, we report the synthesis of nanoliposomes (∼100 nm) encapsulating two drugs, plumbagin, and genistein, to synergistically inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells. The combination of plumbagin and genistein drugs was found inhibiting xenograft prostate tumor growth by ∼80 % without any appreciable toxicity. Mechanistically, the combination of plumbagin and genistein containing nanoliposomes leads to the inhibition of PI3K/AKT3 signaling pathway as well as the decreased population of Glut-1 transporters to impart the retardation in tumor growth. Decrease in proliferative cells and blood vessels are early biological processes that laid the foundation of the observed anti-tumor effect. Thus, a novel, and non-toxic liposomal formulation, containing plumbagin and genistein drugs, is reported, which can deliver anticancer agents to prostate tumors and inhibit the growth.

Red blood cells as an efficient in vitro model for evaluating the efficacy of metallic nanoparticles

Blood and the linings of blood vessels may be regarded as a fifth tissue type. The human body contains 5 × 10⁹ red blood cells (RBCs) per ml, a total of 2.5 × 10¹³ cells in the 5 l of blood present in the body. With an average lifetime of 125 days, human RBCs are destroyed by leukocytes in the spleen and liver. Nowadays red blood cells are extensively used to study various metabolic functions. Nanoparticles (NP) are being widely accepted for drug delivery system. This review summarizes the red blood cells, NPs and their characteristics on the basis of the RBC components along with drug delivery systems through RBCs. Further, we also discussed that how erythrocytes can be used as an efficient in vitro model for evaluating the efficacy of various nanocomposite materials.

Biomimetic polycaprolactone-chitosan nanofibrous substrate influenced cell cycle and ECM secretion affect cellular uptake of nanoclusters

Biomimetic cell culture substrates are developed as an alternative to the conventional substrates. They provide necessary biochemical and biophysical cues to the cells from their surrounding environment for their optimal growth, behaviour and physiology. Changes in physiology of cells growing on biomimetic substrate can essentially affect results of in vitro biological experiments such as drug cytotoxicity, nanoparticle internalization or signalling pathways. As majority of ECM proteins are fibrous in nature, nanofibrous scaffolds have more biomimicking properties. Therefore, in this study, we developed ECM mimicking polycaprolactone-chitosan nanofiber substrate and evaluated its effect on cell morphology, proliferation, cell cycle and ECM production. Further, cellular uptake of BSA-AuNCs has been assessed on conventional and biomimetic substrate in order to demonstrate the effect of these events on cellular properties. It was observed that the cells that were grown for 15 days on the nanofibers, had majority of cells in the proliferative phase of cell cycle compared to TCPS. Moreover, these cells showed extensive collagen and fibronectin production. Due to these conditions C3H10T1/2 cells displayed higher cell internalization of BSA-AuNCs. Overall, this study indicates that the nano-topographical and biochemical environment could alter the cell proliferative behaviour and ECM production, which affects the cell internalization of BSA-AuNCs. Also, PCL-chitosan nanofibrous substrate could be a better alternative to TCPS for cell culture studies.

Drug-target-disease network analysis of gene-phenotype connectivity for genistein in ovarian cancer

Purpose

Genistein belongs to the group of isoflavones, which include powerful anticancer agents. Its antitumor properties have been intensively described in many cancers, but related studies assessing ovarian cancer are scarce. The aim of this study was to develop a new method of the underlying mechanisms of genistein’s effects and broaden the perspective of targeted therapies in ovarian carcinoma.

Materials and methods

Genistein targets were searched in the DrugBank database. Prediction of drug interactions with targets (including secondary targets) was performed with STRING database. Interaction pairs with overall score above 0.9 were recorded for protein–protein interaction (PPI) network generation based on the Cytoscape software. Genes with intense interconnections were grouped into a module. Then, PPI network modules with significance were assessed using Molecular Complex Detection (MCODE) analysis tool. The Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis was performed for the critical genes. Furthermore, disease targets were searched in Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD). The overlapping targets were studied using a Kaplan–Meier analysis to evaluate ovarian carcinoma survival.

Results

A total of 13 direct targets and 372 secondary targets were identified for genistein and further analyzed with the MCODE analysis tool to identify critical genes. The top 72 genes were further assessed with KEGG. Then, the term “ovarian cancer” was searched in CTD, and 123 genes associated only with the marker “T” or “M” were recorded. Next, seven overlapping genes (CDKN1B, PTEN, EGFR, MAPK1, MAPK3, PIK3C, and AKT1) resulting from the intersection of three pathways and 123 genes were obtained from CTD. Elevated CDKN1B amounts showed correlation with overall survival (log-rank P=0.021) according to Kaplan–Meier analysis.

Conclusion

The current findings indicated that drug–target–disease network analysis represents a useful tool in gene–phenotype connectivity for genistein in ovarian cancer. Our result also showed that CDKN1B is worthy of further research.

AS1411 aptamer-targeted gold nanoclusters effect on the enhancement of radiation therapy efficacy in breast tumor-bearing mice

AIM

Herein, the AS1411 aptamer-targeted ultrasmall gold nanoclusters (GNCs) were assessed at different aspects as a radiosensitizer.

MATERIALS & METHODS

AS1411 aptamer-conjugated gold nanoclusters (Apt-GNCs) efficacy was evaluated at cancer cells targeting, radiosensitizing effect, tumor targeting, and biocompatibility in breast tumor-bearing mice.

RESULTS

Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy exhibited more cellular uptake for Apt-GNCs in comparison with GNCs. In addition, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry results demonstrated its effective tumor targeting as the tumors' gold content for GNCs and Apt-GNCs were 8.53 and 15.33 μg/g, respectively. Apt-GNCs significantly enhanced radiotherapy efficacy as mean tumors' volume decreased about 39% and 9 days increase in the mice survival was observed. Both GNCs and Apt-GNCs were biocompatible.

CONCLUSION

The Apt-GNCs is a novel and efficient  radiosensitizer.

Enhanced anti-hepatocarcinoma efficacy by GLUT1 targeting and cellular microenvironment-responsive PAMAM-camptothecin conjugate

The efficient targeting of drugs to tumor cell and subsequent rapid drug release remain primary challenges in the development of nanomedicines for cancer therapy. Here, we constructed a glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1)-targeting and tumor cell microenvironment-sensitive drug release Glucose–PEG–PAMAM-s-s–Camptothecin-Cy7 (GPCC) conjugate to tackle the dilemma. The conjugate was characterized by a small particle size, spherical shape, and glutathione (GSH)-sensitive drug release. In vitro tumor targeting was explored in monolayer (2D) and multilayer tumor spheroid (3D) HepG2 cancer cell models (GLUT1⁺). The cellular uptake of GPCC was higher than that in the control groups and that in normal L02 cells (GLUT1⁻), likely due to the conjugated glucose moiety. Moreover, the GPCC conjugate exhibited stronger cytotoxicity, higher S arrest and enhanced apoptosis and necrosis rate in HepG2 cells than control groups but not L02 cells. However, the cytotoxicity of GPCC was lower than that of free CPT, which could be explained by the slower release of CPT from the GPCC compared with free CPT. Additional in vivo tumor targeting experiments demonstrated the superior tumor-targeting ability of the GPCC conjugate, which significantly accumulated in tumor meanwhile minimize in normal tissues compared with control groups. The GPCC conjugate showed better pharmacokinetic properties, enabling a prolonged circulation time and increased camptothecin area under the curve (AUC). These features contributed to better therapeutic efficacy and lower toxicity in H22 hepatocarcinoma tumor-bearing mice. The GLUT1-targeting, GSH-sensitive GPCC conjugate provides an efficient, safe and economic approach for tumor cell targeted drug delivery.

Recent advances and future prospects of iron oxide nanoparticles in biomedicine and diagnostics

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) are considered as chemically inert materials and, therefore, being extensively applied in the areas of imaging, targeting, drug delivery and biosensors. Their unique properties such as low toxicity, biocompatibility, potent magnetic and catalytic behavior and superior role in multifunctional modalities have epitomized them as an appropriate candidate for biomedical applications. Recent developments in the area of materials science have enabled the facile synthesis of Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) offering easy tuning of surface properties and surface functionalization with desired biomolecules. Such developments have enabled IONPs to be easily accommodated in nanocomposite platform or devices. Additionally, the tag of biocompatible material has realized their potential in myriad applications of nanomedicines including imaging modalities, sensing, and therapeutics. Further, IONPs enzyme mimetic activity pronounced their role as nanozymes in detecting biomolecules like glucose, and cholesterol etc. Hence, based on their versatile applications in biomedicine, the present review article focusses on the current trends, developments and future prospects of IONPs in MRI, hyperthermia, photothermal therapy, biomolecules detection, chemotherapy, antimicrobial activity and also their role as the multifunctional agent in diagnosis and nanomedicines.

Synthesis of gold nanomaterials and their cancer-related biomedical applications: an update

Recently, the advances in the synthesis of new types of nanomaterials have created several opportunities in drug delivery and targeted therapy applications. Among the various nanostructures, gold nanostructures with controllable physical and chemical properties have received attention for various biomedical uses, including sensing of biomolecules, in vitro and in vivo bioimaging (as advanced contrast agents for photothermal and bioimaging techniques), photothermolysis of cancer cells, and targeted drug delivery. The attractive properties of gold nanomaterials, particularly, anti-angiogenic properties, are highly useful in a variety of cancers studies. In addition, they can bind many proteins and drugs and can be actively targeted to cancer cells over-expressing cell surface receptors and they are biocompatible in nature with a high atomic number, which directs to greater absorption of kilovoltage X-rays and provides greater contrast than standard agents. In this review, we have summarized the synthesis, structure and functionalization of gold nanostructures, and their biomedical applications with special reference to cancer studies.