Laser-responsive liposome for selective tumor targeting of nitazoxanide nanoparticles

Potent efficiency of the novel nitazoxanide-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers against experimental cyclosporiasis

Cyclosporiasis is a ubiquitous infection caused by an obligate intracellular protozoan parasite known as Cyclospora cayetanensis (C. cayetanensis). The disease is characterized by severe diarrhea which may be regrettably fatal in immunosuppressed patients. The commercially available treatment options have either severe side effects or low efficiency. In the present study, the novel formula of nitazoxanide (NTZ)-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) was assessed for the first time for C. cayetanensis treatment in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice in comparison to commercially available drugs (trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) and NTZ). Swiss Albino mice were orally infected by 104 sporulated oocysts. The experimental groups were treated with the gold standard TMP-SMX, NTZ, blank NLCs and NTZ-loaded NLCs. The results demonstrated that NTZ-loaded NLCs represented the highest significant parasite percent reduction of (>98% reduction) in both immunocompetent and immunosuppressed mice designating successful tissue penetration and avoiding recurrence of infection at the end of the study. Oocysts treated with NTZ-loaded NLCs demonstrated the most mutilated rapturing morphology via scanning electron microscope examination as well as representing the most profound improvement of the histopathological picture. In conclusion, NTZ-loaded NLCs exhibited the uppermost efficacy in the treatment of cyclosporiasis. The safe nature and the anti-parasitic effect of the novel formulation encourage its use as a powerful treatment for human cyclosporiasis.

Lipid-hybrid cell-derived biomimetic functional materials: A state-of-the-art multifunctional weapon against tumors

Tumors are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Cell-derived biomimetic functional materials have shown great promise in the treatment of tumors. These materials are derived from cell membranes, extracellular vesicles and bacterial outer membrane vesicles and may evade immune recognition, improve drug targeting and activate antitumor immunity. However, their use is limited owing to their low drug-loading capacity and complex preparation methods. Liposomes are artificial bionic membranes that have high drug-loading capacity and can be prepared and modified easily. Although they can overcome the disadvantages of cell-derived biomimetic functional materials, they lack natural active targeting ability. Lipids can be hybridized with cell membranes, extracellular vesicles or bacterial outer membrane vesicles to form lipid-hybrid cell-derived biomimetic functional materials. These materials negate the disadvantages of both liposomes and cell-derived components and represent a promising delivery platform in the treatment of tumors. This review focuses on the design strategies, applications and mechanisms of action of lipid-hybrid cell-derived biomimetic functional materials and summarizes the prospects of their further development and the challenges associated with it.

Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy: a comprehensive review of mechanisms, efficacy, and clinical prospects

Cancer poses a significant global health challenge, with predictions of increasing prevalence in the coming years due to limited prevention, late diagnosis, and inadequate success with current therapies. In addition, the high cost of new anti-cancer drugs creates barriers in meeting the medical needs of cancer patients, especially in developing countries. The lengthy and costly process of developing novel drugs further hinders drug discovery and clinical implementation. Therefore, there has been a growing interest in repurposing approved drugs for other diseases to address the urgent need for effective cancer treatments. The aim of this comprehensive review is to provide an overview of the potential of approved non-oncology drugs as therapeutic options for cancer treatment. These drugs come from various chemotherapeutic classes, including antimalarials, antibiotics, antivirals, anti-inflammatory drugs, and antifungals, and have demonstrated significant antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties. A systematic review of the literature was conducted to identify relevant studies on the repurposing of approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Various electronic databases, such as PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar, were searched using appropriate keywords. Studies focusing on the therapeutic potential, mechanisms of action, efficacy, and clinical prospects of repurposed drugs in cancer treatment were included in the analysis. The review highlights the promising outcomes of repurposing approved non-oncology drugs for cancer therapy. Drugs belonging to different therapeutic classes have demonstrated notable antitumor effects, including inhibiting cell proliferation, promoting apoptosis, modulating the immune response, and suppressing metastasis. These findings suggest the potential of these repurposed drugs as effective therapeutic approaches in cancer treatment. Repurposing approved non-oncology drugs provides a promising strategy for addressing the urgent need for effective and accessible cancer treatments. The diverse classes of repurposed drugs, with their demonstrated antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, immunomodulatory, and antimetastatic properties, offer new avenues for cancer therapy. Further research and clinical trials are warranted to explore the full potential of these repurposed drugs and optimize their use in treating various cancer types. Repurposing approved drugs can significantly expedite the process of identifying effective treatments and improve patient outcomes in a cost-effective manner.

Gold nanoparticles and gold nanorods in the landscape of cancer therapy

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

Pyrazole derivatives as potent EGFR inhibitors: synthesis, biological evaluation and in silico and biodistribution study

Aim: Synthesis of pyrazole derivatives as EGFR inhibitors. Materials & methods: Cytotoxicity and EGFR inhibitory effect were evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide and EGFR kits, respectively. The biodistribution of radioiodinated compound nanoparticles in tumor-bearing mice was studied. Results: The IC₅₀ values of compound 4a against HepG2 cells and EGFR were 0.15 ± 0.03 and 0.31 ± 0.008 μM, respectively, while those of erlotinib were 0.73 ± 0.04 and 0.11 ± 0.008 μM, respectively. The binding scores of compound 4a and erlotinib to EGFR were -9.52 and -10.23 Kcal/mol, respectively. The maximum tumor uptake of radioiodinated compound after intravenous nanoparticle injection was 6.7 ± 0.3% radioactivity/g. Conclusion: Compound 4a is a promising antitumor agent with a potential EGFR inhibitory effect.

Biocompatible mucoadhesive nanoparticles for brain targeting of ropinirole hydrochloride: Formulations, radiolabeling and biodistribution

Two nanoformulations with mucoadhesive properties and brain-targeting mechanisms were designed to deliver the anti-Parkinson's drug, ropinirole hydrochloride (RH). In the first formulation, RH and the amphiphilic block copolymer methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(caprolactone) were assembled in a core-shell morphology followed by coating with a mucoadhesive chitosan outer layer producing a multilayer vehicle (MLV). In the second formulation, RH was encapsulated during the polyelectrolyte complexation of two natural polymers, chitosan and alginate producing RH-loaded chitosan-alginate polyelectrolyte (PEC) nanocomplex. Conditions of each formulation were adopted for optimal drug loading. Physico-chemical characterization of the prepared formulations (particle size, polydispersity index and zeta-potential) exhibited stable monodispersed nanoparticles. RH was radiolabeled by I-131 radiotracer in a high-radiochemical yield. Biodistribution and brain targeting of RH from the prepared formulations were studied after administration of ¹³¹ I-RH-loaded nanoparticles to albino mice via intranasal and intravenous routs. Elevated brain radioactivity was detected post IN administration of (¹³¹ I-RH/PCL-PEG/CS) nanoparticles and (¹³¹ I-RH/CS-ALG) nanoparticles comparing with the IN administrated RH solutions (C_max  = 2.8 ± 0.3, 2 ± 0.3, 0.93 ± 0.03% radioactivity/g, 1 h post administration, respectively). This demonstrated that a relatively high-brain targeting could be achieved via intranasal route of administration of RH-loaded nanoparticles. The proposed models are further potential for application to deliver many other brain-targeting therapeutics.

El-kherbetawy M, El-mistekawy A, Mohammad HMF, Elbahaie AM, Hashish AA, Alomar SY, Aloyouni SY, El-dosoky M, Morsy KM, Zaitone SA. Antitumor Activity of Nitazoxanide against Colon Cancers: Molecular Docking and Experimental Studies Based on Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling Inhibition

In colon cancer, wingless (Wnt)/β-catenin signaling is frequently upregulated; however, the creation of a molecular therapeutic agent targeting this pathway is still under investigation. This research aimed to study how nitazoxanide can affect Wnt/β-catenin signaling in colon cancer cells (HCT-116) and a mouse colon cancer model. Our study included 2 experiments; the first was to test the cytotoxic activity of nitazoxanide in an in vitro study on a colon cancer cell line (HCT-116) versus normal colon cells (FHC) and to highlight the proapoptotic effect by MTT assay, flow cytometry and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The second experiment tested the in vivo cytotoxic effect of nitazoxanide against 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) prompted cancer in mice. Mice were grouped as saline, DMH control and DMH + nitazoxanide [100 or 200 mg per kg]. Colon levels of Wnt and β-catenin proteins were assessed by Western blotting while proliferation was measured via immunostaining for proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Treating HCT-116 cells with nitazoxanide (inhibitory concentration 50 (IC50) = 11.07 µM) revealed that it has a more cytotoxic effect when compared to 5-flurouracil (IC50 = 11.36 µM). Moreover, it showed relatively high IC50 value (non-cytotoxic) against the normal colon cells. Nitazoxanide induced apoptosis by 15.86-fold compared to control and arrested the cell cycle. Furthermore, nitazoxanide upregulated proapoptotic proteins (P53 and BAX) and caspases but downregulated BCL-2. Nitazoxanide downregulated Wnt/β-catenin/glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK-3β) signaling and PCNA staining in the current mouse model. Hence, our findings highlighted the cytotoxic effect of nitazoxanide and pointed out the effect on Wnt/β-catenin/GSK-3β signaling.

99mTc radiolabeling of polyethylenimine capped carbon dots for tumor targeting: synthesis, characterization and biodistribution

PURPOSE

Due to the favorable physicochemical properties and the biocompatibility, carbon dots (CDs) have gained a great attention as a tumor targeting agent. This study investigates polyethylenimine capped CDs (PEI capped CDs) as a prospective nanocarrier of technetium-99m (99mTc) for tumor targeting. Technetium-labeled CDs could be introduced as a promising candidate for single photon emission tomography (SPECT) imaging.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Polyethylenimine capped CDs were prepared by hydrothermal method using hyperbranched PEI and citric acid. For a purpose of comparison, citrate capped CDs were also prepared by microwave irradiation. Both types of CDs were characterized and radiolabeled with 99mTc using sodium borohydride (NaBH4) as a reducing agent. Biodistribution and tumor targeting efficiency of the produced radiolabeled CDs have been studied in Earlich ascites tumor mice model.

RESULTS

Citrate capped CDs and PEI capped CDs have been synthesized successfully and characterized. High radiochemical yield of 99mTc-citrate capped CDs 99mTc-PEI capped CDs was obtained (97 ± 0.7 and 90 ± 0.2, respectively). Biodistribution studies of 99mTc-labeled PEI capped CDs have shown a potential tumor uptake (10 ± 0.5% Radioactivity/gram tumor) with high target to non-target ratio (T/NT) around 7 at 1-h post injection. 99mTc-citrate capped CDs have achieved a lower tumor uptake level (3.8 ± 0.3% Radioactivity/gram tumor 1 h post injection).

CONCLUSION

This study introduces PEI capped CDs as a promising nanocarrier of 99mTc for efficient tumor targeting. Technetium-labeled PEI capped CDs could be utilized as a potential SPECT tumor imaging agent.

Anthelmintics for drug repurposing: Opportunities and challenges

Drug repositioning is defined as a process to identify a new application for drugs. This approach is critical as it takes advantage of well-known pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and toxicity profiles of the drugs; thus, the chance of their future failure decreases, and the cost of their development and the required time for their approval are reduced. Anthelmintics, which are antiparasitic drugs, have recently demonstrated promising anticancer effects in vitro and in vivo. This literature review focuses on the potential of anthelmintics for repositioning in the treatment of cancers. It also discusses their pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics as antiparasitic drugs, proposed anticancer mechanisms, present development conditions, challenges in cancer therapy, and strategies to overcome these challenges.

Targeting intracellular Leishmania (L.) infantum with nitazoxanide entrapped into phosphatidylserine-nanoliposomes: An experimental study

Leishmaniasis is a parasitic neglected tropical disease and result in a broad spectrum of clinical manifestations, ranging from a single ulceration to a progressive and fatal visceral disease. Comprising a limited and highly toxic therapeutic arsenal, new treatments are urgently needed. Targeting delivery of drugs has been a promising approach for visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Phosphatidylserine-liposomes have demonstrated superior efficacy in VL, targeting intracellular parasites in host cells through macrophage scavenger receptors. In this work, we investigated the in vitro and in vivo efficacy of the antihelminthic drug nitazoxanide in a nanoliposomal formulation against Leishmania (L.) infantum. Physicochemical parameters of liposomes containing nitazoxanide (NTZ-LP) were determined by dynamic light scattering and small angle X-ray scattering. The efficacy of the formulation was verified in an intracellular amastigote model and in an experimental hamster model. Our findings showed that NTZ-LP was able to eliminate the amastigotes inside the host cell with an IC₅₀ value of 16 μM. NTZ-LP was labelled a fluorescent probe and by spectrofluorimetry, we observed that the infected macrophages internalized similar levels of the drug to the uninfected cells. The confocal microscopy images confirmed the uptake and demonstrated a diffuse distribution of the NTZ-LP in the cytoplasm of Leishmania-infected macrophages, with the vesicles in a closer proximity to the parasites. For the in vivo efficacy, the liposomal NTZ-LP was administrated intraperitoneally to Leishmania-infected hamsters for 10 consecutive days at 2 mg/kg/day. By qPCR we demonstrated a reduction of the parasite burden by 82% and 50% in the liver (p < 0.05) and spleen (p < 0.05), respectively. NTZ (non-liposomal) was administered at 100 mg/kg/day per oral (p.o.) for the same period, but demonstrated no efficacy. This liposomal formulation ensured a targeting delivery of NTZ to the intracellular parasites, resulting in an good efficacy at a low dose in animals, and it may represent a new candidate therapy for VL.

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Nanoliposomal nitazoxanide (NTZ-LP) eliminates amastigotes of Leishmania.

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The uptake of NTZ-LP by infected macrophages is similar to uninfected cells.

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NTZ-LP localizes in a closer proximity to the amastigotes inside the macrophages.

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NTZ-LP reduces the parasite burden by 82% (liver) and 50% (spleen) of hamsters.

Surface Modification of Liposomes Using IR700 Enables Efficient Controlled Contents Release Triggered by Near-IR Light

Stimuli-responsive liposomes are promising drug carriers for cancer treatment because they enable controlled drug release and the maintenance of desired drug concentrations in tumor tissue. In particular, near-IR (NIR) light is a useful stimulus for triggering drug release from liposomes based on its advantages such as deep tissue penetration and safety. Previously, we found that a silicon phthalocyanine derivative, IR700, conjugated to antibodies, can induce the rupture of the cell membrane following irradiation by NIR light. Based on this finding, we constructed IR700-modified liposomes (IR700 liposomes) and evaluated their drug release properties triggered by NIR light. IR700 liposomes released substantial amounts of encapsulated calcein following irradiation by NIR light. Drug release was substantially suppressed by the addition of sodium azide, suggesting that liposomal membrane permeabilization was mediated by singlet oxygen generated from IR700. Moreover, calcein release from IR700 liposomes triggered by NIR light was promoted under conditions of deoxygenation and the presence of electron donors. Thus, membrane disruption should be induced by the physical change of IR700 from highly hydrophilic to hydrophobic as we previously described, although singlet oxygen can cause a certain level of membrane disruption under normoxia. We also observed that doxorubicin-encapsulated IR700 liposomes exhibited significant cytotoxic effects against CT-26 murine colon carcinoma cells following NIR light exposure. These results indicate that IR700 liposomes can efficiently release anti-cancer drugs following NIR light irradiation even under hypoxic conditions and, therefore, they would be useful for cancer treatment.

Crosslink among phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase/Akt, PTEN and STAT-5A signaling pathways post liposomal galactomannan hepatocellular carcinoma therapy

Liposomal drug-delivery systems (LDDs) provide a promising opportunity to precisely target organs, improve drug bioavailability and reduce systemic toxicity. On the other hand, PI₃K/Akt signaling pathways control various intracellular functions including apoptosis, invasion and cell growth. Hyper activation of PI3K and Akt is detected in some types of cancer that posses defect in PTEN. Tracking the crosstalk between PI3K/Akt, PTEN and STAT 5A signaling pathways, in cancer could result in identifying new therapeutic agents. The current study, identified an over view on PI3K/Akt, PTEN and STAT-5A networks, in addition to their biological roles in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In the current study galactomannan was extracted from Caesalpinia gilliesii seeds then loaded in liposomes. Liposomes were prepared employing phosphatidyl choline and different concentrations of cholesterol. HCC was then induced in Wistar albino rats followed by liposomal galactomannan (700 ± 100 nm) treatment. Liver enzymes as well as antioxidants were assessed and PI3K/Akt, PTEN and STAT-5A gene expression were investigated. The prepared vesicles revealed entrapment efficiencies ranging from 23.55 to 69.17%, and negative zeta potential values. The optimum formulation revealed spherical morphology as well as diffusion controlled in vitro release pattern. Liposomal galactomannan elucidated a significant reduction in liver enzymes and MDA as well as PI3K/Akt, PTEN and STAT 5A gene expression. A significant elevation in GST and GSH were deduced. In conclusion, Liposomal galactomannan revealed a promising candidate for HCC therapy.

Recent Advances in the Structural Design of Photosensitive Agent Formulations Using "Soft" Colloidal Nanocarriers

The growing demand for effective delivery of photosensitive active compounds has resulted in the development of colloid chemistry and nanotechnology. Recently, many kinds of novel formulations with outstanding pharmaceutical potential have been investigated with an expansion in the design of a wide variety of "soft" nanostructures such as simple or multiple (double) nanoemulsions and lipid formulations. The latter can then be distinguished into vesicular, including liposomes and "smart" vesicles such as transferosomes, niosomes and ethosomes, and non-vesicular nanosystems with solid lipid nanoparticles and nanostructured lipid carriers. Encapsulation of photosensitive agents such as drugs, dyes, photosensitizers or antioxidants can be specifically formulated by the self-assembly of phospholipids or other amphiphilic compounds. They are intended to match unique pharmaceutic and cosmetic requirements and to improve their delivery to the target site via the most common, i.e., transdermal, intravenous or oral administration routes. Numerous surface modifications and functionalization of the nanostructures allow increasing their effectiveness and, consequently, may contribute to the treatment of many diseases, primarily cancer. An increasing article number is evidencing significant advances in applications of the different classes of the photosensitive agents incorporated in the "soft" colloidal nanocarriers that deserved to be highlighted in the present review.

Gold nanorod-loaded (PLGA-PEG) nanocapsules as near-infrared controlled release model of anticancer therapeutics

Despite of high in vitro anticancer efficacy of many chemotherapeutics, their in vivo use is limited due to lack of biocompatibility and tumor targeting. Near-infrared (NIR) photothermally induced phase transition of PLGA-PEG regime was utilized for developing highly efficient photoresponsive drug delivery systems. Co-encapsulation of plasmonic gold nanorods (GNRs), as NIR-trigger, with the novel and highly efficient anticancer drug N'-(2-Methoxybenzylidene)-3-methyl-1-phenyl-H-Thieno[2,3-c]Pyrazole-5-Carbohyd-razide (MTPC) produced NIR-responsive biodegradable polymeric (PLGA-b-PEG) nanocapsules. This remotely controllable drug release significantly enhanced both biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of the hydrophobic drug. Intravenous (IV) injection of the prepared nanocapsules (MTPC/GNRs@PLGA-PEG) to tumor-bearing mice followed by extracorporeal exposure of the tumor to NIR light resulted in highly selective drug accumulation at the tumor sites. In vivo biodistribution and pharmacokinetics utilizing iodine-131 drug-radiolabelling technique revealed a maximum target to non-target ratio (T/NT) of 5.8, 4 h post-injection with maximum drug level in the tumor (6.3 ± 0.6% of the injected dose). Graphical abstract.

A tumor-microenvironment-responsive nanomaterial for cancer chemo-photothermal therapy

Taxol (TAX) is a typical anticancer drug that is widely used in clinical treatment of cancer, while gold nanorods (AuNRs) are a kind of well-known material applied for photothermal therapy (PTT). The therapeutic outcome of TAX in chemotherapy is however limited by drug resistance, while AuNRs often show poor accuracy in PTT. To optimize the functions of TAX and AuNRs, we developed a hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂)-triggered nanomaterial (LV–TAX/Au@Ag) for combined chemo-photothermal therapy. In normal tissues, TAX is protected in the lipid bilayer and isolated from the surrounding normal cells, while AuNRs are coated with silver shells and show low photothermal capacity. However, after reaching the tumor tissues, the silver shells can be etched by endogenous H₂O₂ in the tumor microenvironment, and the photothermal properties of AuNRs are then recovered. Meanwhile, the generated oxygen destabilizes the LV, which makes the 100 nm sized nanosystems disassemble into the smaller sized TAX and AuNRs, leading to the deep penetration and direct interaction with tumor tissues. The related in vitro experiments proved the validity of this “turn off/on” effect. Extensive necrosis and apoptosis were observed in the tumor tissues and the proliferation of solid tumor was greatly suppressed due to this combined chemo-photothermal therapy. In addition, no significant damage was found in normal tissues after the treatment of LV–TAX/Au@Ag. Therefore, the strategy to achieve environmental response by modifying the photothermal agents enhanced the efficiency and safety of nanomedicine, which may help improve cancer treatment.

Endogenous hydrogen peroxide was utilized to control the release of agents for better tumor therapeutic effect and safety.

Analysis of tizoxanide, active metabolite of nitazoxanide, in rat brain tissue and plasma by UHPLC-MS/MS

Tizoxanide, the active metabolite of nitazoxanide, has recently been reported as an effective agent for the treatment of glioma. As there had been no report about the analysis of tizoxanide in brain tissue, we established extraction and UHPLC-MS/MS methods to quantify tizoxanide in rat brain and plasma to evaluate the brain-to-plasma ratio of tizoxanide. The biological samples were mainly prepared by acetonitrile and the separation was performed on a Waters XBridge® BEH C₁₈ column. The mobile phase was composed of water mixed with 10 mm ammonium formate (pH 3.0) and acetonitrile according a gradient volume. Tizoxanide and topiramate (internal standard) were monitored utilizing negative electron spray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The methods were validated to be precise and accurate within the dynamic range of 5-1000 ng/mL and 0.2-50 ng/g for plasma and brain tissue samples, respectively. The lower limit of quantitation of the method was 0.2 ng/g, which was far more sensitive than all existing methods to quantify tizoxanide in biological samples. Application performed on rats exhibited that the brain-to-plasma ratio of tizoxanide ranged from 3.16 to 26.86% in 1 h after administration of 10 mg/kg nitazoxanide.

Porphyrinoid-based photosensitizers for diagnostic and therapeutic applications: An update

Porphyrin-based molecules are actively studied as dual function theranostics: fluorescence-based imaging for diagnostics and fluorescence-guided therapeutic treatment of cancers. The intrinsic fluorescent and photodynamic properties of the bimodal molecules allows for these theranostic approaches. Several porphyrinoids bearing both hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic units at their periphery have been developed for the aforementioned applications, but better tumor selectivity and high efficacy to destroy tumor cells is always a key setback for their use. Another issue related to their effective clinical use is that, most of these chromophores form aggregates under physiological conditions. Nanomaterials that are known to possess incredible properties that cannot be achieved from their bulk systems can serve as carriers for these chromophores. Porphyrinoids, when conjugated with nanomaterials, can be enabled to perform as multifunctional nanomedicine devices. The integrated properties of these porphyrinoid-nanomaterial conjugated systems make them useful for selective drug delivery, theranostic capabilities, and multimodal bioimaging. This review highlights the use of porphyrins, chlorins, bacteriochlorins, phthalocyanines and naphthalocyanines as well as their multifunctional nanodevices in various biomedical theranostic platforms.

Phthalocyanine-doped polystyrene fluorescent nanocomposite as a highly selective biosensor for quantitative determination of cancer antigen 125

A novel, simple, sensitive, and precise spectrofluorometric assay of cancer antigen [CA 125] is described. This modality is based on monitoring the quenching of the luminescence intensity at 790 nm of the phthalocyanine fluorophore, in a nanocomposite comprising the fluorophore and cationic polystyrene, which results from interaction with CA 125. The remarkable quenching of the luminescence intensity of the Ni-phthalocyanine complex doped in PS matrix by various concentrations of CA 125 was successfully utilized as an optical sensor for the determination of CA 125 in different serum samples of ovarian disease. The performance of the designed biosensor is determined through monitoring the quenching of the luminescence intensity at 790 nm by cancer antigen 125 after excitation at 685 nm, pH 7.3 in water. The calibration plot was achieved over the concentration range 1.0 × 10^-2 - 127 U mL^-1 CA-125 with a correlation coefficient of 0.99 and detection limit of 1.0 × 10^-4 U mL^-1. The mechanism of the interaction between the nano thin film nickel(II)phthalocyanine and CA-125 was discussed. A significant correlation between the proposed method for the assessment of CA 125 and the standard method was applied to patients and controls.

Nitazoxanide, an antiprotozoal drug, inhibits late-stage autophagy and promotes ING1-induced cell cycle arrest in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is the most common and aggressive primary brain tumor in adults. New drug design and development is still a major challenge for glioma treatment. Increasing evidence has shown that nitazoxanide, an antiprotozoal drug, has a novel antitumor role in various tumors and exhibits multiple molecular functions, especially autophagic regulation. However, whether nitazoxanide-associated autophagy has an antineoplastic effect in glioma remains unclear. Here, we aimed to explore the underlying molecular mechanism of nitazoxanide in glioblastoma. Our results showed that nitazoxanide suppressed cell growth and induced cell cycle arrest in glioblastoma by upregulating ING1 expression with a favorable toxicity profile. Nitazoxanide inhibited autophagy through blockage of late-stage lysosome acidification, resulting in decreased cleavage of ING1. A combination with chloroquine or Torin1 enhanced or impaired the chemotherapeutic effect of nitazoxanide in glioblastoma cells. Taken together, these findings indicate that nitazoxanide as an autophagy inhibitor induces cell cycle arrest in glioblastoma via upregulated ING1 due to increased transcription and decreased post-translational degradation by late-stage autophagic inhibition.

Liver-targeted delivery of liposome-encapsulated curcumol using galactosylated-stearate

Liver-targeted drug delivery improves the efficacy of anti-liver cancer agents and reduces systemic toxicity by limiting the bioavailability of these drugs to within tumors. Liver targeting reagents with galactose residues, which selectively combine to asialoglyco protein receptors, have previously been used to improve liposome-encapsulated drug accumulation within liver cells. They lead to a reduction in liver cancer cell growth and have been used to cure certain hepatic diseases. In the present study, curcumol, which is the primary active component of Chinese traditional medicine Rhizoma zedoariae, was encapsulated in galactosylated-liposomes to enhance its anti-liver cancer efficacy. Galactosylated-liposomes and normal liposomes were labeled with propidium iodide. Galactosylated-liposomes with increasing concentrations of galactosylated-stearate (Gal-s) had a notably increased level of uptake in HepG2 cells (hepatoblastoma) compared with SGC-7901 (gastric cancer) and A549 (non-small cell lung cancer) cells. When the percentage of Gal-s reached 20%, liposome uptake plateaued. In the in vitro anti-liver cancer experiment, the anti-liver cancer efficacy of galactosylated-curcumol-liposomes increased significantly more compared with normal curcumol liposomes and free curcumol as indicated by cell survival rate and lactate dehydrogenase release rate. Collectively, these results demonstrate that galactosylated-liposomes are able to enhance the in vitro liver-targeting effect and anti-liver cancer efficacy of curcumol.