Inhalable nanostructured lipid particles of 9-bromo-noscapine, a tubulin-binding cytotoxic agent: In vitro and in vivo studies

Inhalable solid lipid nanoparticles of levofloxacin for potential tuberculosis treatment

Delivering novel antimycobacterial agents through the pulmonary route using nanoparticle-based systems shows promise for treating diseases like tuberculosis. However, creating dry powder inhaler (DPI) with suitable aerodynamic characteristics while preserving nanostructure integrity and maintaining bioactivity until the active ingredient travels deeply into the lungs is a difficult challenge. We developed DPI formulations containing levofloxacin-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) via spray-drying technique with tailored aerosolization characteristics for effective inhalation therapy. A range of biophysical techniques, including transmission electron microscopy, confocal microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy were used to measure the morphologies and sizes of the spray-dried microparticles that explored both the geometric and aerodynamic properties. Spray drying substantially reduced the particle sizes of the SLNs while preserving their nanostructural integrity and enhancing aerosol dispersion with efficient mucus penetration. Despite a slower uptake rate compared to plain SLNs, the polyethylene glycol modified formulations exhibited enhanced cellular uptake in both A549 and NR8383 cell lines. The percent viability of Mycobacterium bovis had dropped to nearly 0 % by day 5 for both types of SLNs. Interestingly, the levofloxacin-loaded SLNs demonstrated a lower minimum bactericidal concentration (0.25 µg/mL) compared with pure levofloxacin (1 µg/mL), which indicated the formulations have potential as effective treatments for tuberculosis.

Spray-Dried Nanolipid Powders for Pulmonary Drug Delivery: A Comprehensive Mini Review

Lung diseases have received great attention in the past years because they contribute approximately one-third of the total global mortality. Pulmonary drug delivery is regarded as one of the most appealing routes to treat lung diseases. It addresses numerous drawbacks linked to traditional dosage forms. It presents notable features, such as, for example, a non-invasive route, localized lung drug delivery, low enzymatic activity, low drug degradation, higher patient compliance, and avoiding first-pass metabolism. Therefore, the pulmonary route is commonly explored for delivering drugs both locally and systemically. Inhalable nanocarrier powders, especially, lipid nanoparticle formulations, including solid-lipid and nanostructured-lipid nanocarriers, are attracting considerable interest in addressing respiratory diseases thanks to their significant advantages, including deep lung deposition, biocompatibility, biodegradability, mucoadhesion, and controlled drug released. Spray drying is a scalable, fast, and commercially viable technique to produce nanolipid powders. This review highlights the ideal criteria for inhalable spray-dried SLN and NLC powders for the pulmonary administration route. Additionally, the most promising inhalation devices, known as dry powder inhalers (DPIs) for the pulmonary delivery of nanolipid powder-based medications, and pulmonary applications of SLN and NLC powders for treating chronic lung conditions, are considered.

A comprehensive review on lipid nanocarrier systems for cancer treatment: fabrication, future prospects and clinical trials

Over the last few decades, cancer has been considered a clinical challenge, being among the leading causes of mortality all over the world. Although many treatment approaches have been developed for cancer, chemotherapy is still the most utilized in the clinical setting. However, the available chemotherapeutics-based treatments have several caveats including their lack of specificity, adverse effects as well as cancer relapse and metastasis which mainly explains the low survival rate of patients. Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) have been utilized as promising nanocarrier systems for chemotherapeutics to overcome the challenges of the currently applied therapeutic strategies for cancer treatment. Loading chemotherapeutic agent(s) into LNPs improves drug delivery at different aspects including specific targeting of tumours, and enhancing the bioavailability of drugs at the tumour site through selective release of their payload, thus reducing their undesired side effects on healthy cells. This review article delineates an overview of the clinical challenges in many cancer treatments as well as depicts the role of LNPs in achieving optimal therapeutic outcomes. Moreover, the review contains a comprehensive description of the many LNPs categories used as nanocarriers in cancer treatment to date, as well as the potential of LNPs for future applications in other areas of medicine and research.

Nanocarrier-Mediated Drug Delivery via Inhalational Route for Lung Cancer Therapy: A Systematic and Updated Review

Lung cancer is one of the most severe lethal malignancies, with approximately 1.6 million deaths every year. Lung cancer can be broadly categorised into small and non-small-cell lung cancer. The traditional chemotherapy is nonspecific, destroys healthy cells and produces systemic toxicity; targeted inhalation drug delivery in conjunction with nanoformulations has piqued interest as an approach for improving chemotherapeutic drug activity in the treatment of lung cancer. Our aim is to discuss the impact of polymer and lipid-based nanocarriers (polymeric nanoparticles, liposomes, niosomes, nanostructured lipid carriers, etc.) to treat lung cancer via the inhalational route of drug administration. This review also highlights the clinical studies, patent reports and latest investigations related to lung cancer treatment through the pulmonary route. In accordance with the PRISMA guideline, a systematic literature search was carried out for published works between 2005 and 2023. The keywords used were lung cancer, pulmonary delivery, inhalational drug delivery, liposomes in lung cancer, nanotechnology in lung cancer, etc. Several articles were searched, screened, reviewed and included. The analysis demonstrated the potential of polymer and lipid-based nanocarriers to improve the entrapment of drugs, sustained release, enhanced permeability, targeted drug delivery and retention impact in lung tissues. Patents and clinical observations further strengthen the translational potential of these carrier systems for human use in lung cancer. This systematic review demonstrated the potential of pulmonary (inhalational) drug delivery approaches based on nanocarriers for lung cancer therapy.

Pulmonary delivery of nano-particles for lung cancer diagnosis and therapy: Recent advances and future prospects

Although our understanding of lung cancer has significantly improved in the past decade, it is still a disease with a high incidence and mortality rate. The key reason is that the efficacy of the therapeutic drugs is limited, mainly due to insufficient doses of drugs delivered to the lungs. To achieve precise lung cancer diagnosis and treatment, nano-particles (NPs) pulmonary delivery techniques have attracted much attention and facilitate the exploration of the potential of those in inhalable NPs targeting tumor lesions. Since the therapeutic research focusing on pulmonary delivery NPs has rapidly developed and evolved substantially, this review will mainly discuss the current developments of pulmonary delivery NPs for precision lung cancer diagnosis and therapy. This article is categorized under: Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Respiratory Disease Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging.

Inhaled Medicines for Targeting Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Throughout the years, considerable progress has been made in methods for delivering drugs directly to the lungs, which offers enhanced precision in targeting specific lung regions. Currently, for treatment of lung cancer, the prevalent routes for drug administration are oral and parenteral. These methods, while effective, often come with side effects including hair loss, nausea, vomiting, susceptibility to infections, and bleeding. Direct drug delivery to the lungs presents a range of advantages. Notably, it can significantly reduce or even eliminate these side effects and provide more accurate targeting of malignancies. This approach is especially beneficial for treating conditions like lung cancer and various respiratory diseases. However, the journey towards perfecting inhaled drug delivery systems has not been without its challenges, primarily due to the complex structure and functions of the respiratory tract. This comprehensive review will investigate delivery strategies that target lung cancer, specifically focusing on non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC)-a predominant variant of lung cancer. Within the scope of this review, active and passive targeting techniques are covered which highlight the roles of advanced tools like nanoparticles and lipid carriers. Furthermore, this review will shed light on the potential synergies of combining inhalation therapy with other treatment approaches, such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The goal is to determine how these combinations might amplify therapeutic results, optimizing patient outcomes and overall well-being.

Antitumor Effect of Bleomycin Nanoaerosol in Murine Carcinoma Model

Bleomycin, which is widely used as an antitumor agent, possesses serious adverse effects such as pulmonary toxicity. Local nanoaerosol deposition for lung cancer treatment is a promising alternative to drug delivery to lung lesions. The aim of this work is to test the hypothesis that bleomycin nanoaerosol can be effectively used to treat multiple lung metastases. To obtain bleomycin nanoaerosol, an aerosol generator based on electrospray of a solution of a nonvolatile substance with gas-phase neutralization of charged aerosol particles was used. Lung metastases in murine Lewis lung carcinoma and B16 melanoma animal models were counted. The effect of inhaled bleomycin nanoparticles on the number and volume of metastases, as well as pulmonary side effects, was investigated. Using a mouse exposure chamber, the dose-dependent effect of inhaled bleomycin on tumor volume was evaluated in comparison with intraperitoneal administration. Bleomycin nanoaerosol reduced the volume of metastases and produced a higher antitumor effect at much lower doses. It has been established that long-term exposure to nanoaerosol with a low dose of bleomycin is capable of suppressing cancer cell growth. The treatment was well tolerated. In the lungs, minor changes were found in the form of focal-diffuse infiltration of the lung parenchyma.

Lipid-Based Inhalable Micro- and Nanocarriers of Active Agents for Treating Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer

Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) afflicts about 2 million people worldwide, with both genetic (familial) and environmental factors contributing to its development and spread. The inadequacy of currently available therapeutic techniques, such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, in addressing NSCLC is reflected in the very low survival rate of this disease. Therefore, newer approaches and combination therapy regimens are required to reverse this dismal scenario. Direct administration of inhalable nanotherapeutic agents to the cancer sites can potentially lead to optimal drug use, negligible side effects, and high therapeutic gain. Lipid-based nanoparticles are ideal agents for inhalable delivery owing to their high drug loading, ideal physical traits, sustained drug release, and biocompatibility. Drugs loaded within several lipid-based nanoformulations, such as liposomes, solid-lipid nanoparticles, lipid-based micelles, etc., have been developed as both aqueous dispersed formulations as well as dry-powder formulations for inhalable delivery in NSCLC models in vitro and in vivo. This review chronicles such developments and charts the future prospects of such nanoformulations in the treatment of NSCLC.

Lipid-core nanoparticles: Classification, preparation methods, routes of administration and recent advances in cancer treatment

Nanotechnological drug delivery platforms represent a new paradigm for cancer therapeutics as they improve the pharmacokinetic profile and distribution of chemotherapeutic agents over conventional formulations. Among nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoplatforms possessing a lipid core, that is, lipid-core nanoparticles (LCNPs), have gained increasing interest due to lipid properties such as high solubilizing potential, versatility, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. However, due to the wide spectrum of morphologies and types of LCNPs, there is a lack of consensus regarding their terminology and classification. According to the current state-of-the-art in this critical review, LCNPs are defined and classified based on the state of their lipidic components in liquid lipid nanoparticles (LLNs). These include lipid nanoemulsions (LNEs) and lipid nanocapsules (LNCs), solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) and nanostructured lipid nanocarriers (NLCs). In addition, we present a comprehensive and comparative description of the methods employed for their preparation, routes of administration and the fundamental role of physicochemical properties of LCNPs for efficient antitumoral drug-delivery application. Market available LCNPs, clinical trials and preclinical in vivo studies of promising LCNPs as potential treatments for different cancer pathologies are summarized.

Advances in Lung Cancer Treatment Using Nanomedicines

Carcinoma of the lungs is among the most menacing forms of malignancy and has a poor prognosis, with a low overall survival rate due to delayed detection and ineffectiveness of conventional therapy. Therefore, drug delivery strategies that may overcome undesired damage to healthy cells, boost therapeutic efficacy, and act as imaging tools are currently gaining much attention. Advances in material science have resulted in unique nanoscale-based theranostic agents, which provide renewed hope for patients suffering from lung cancer. Nanotechnology has vastly modified and upgraded the existing techniques, focusing primarily on increasing bioavailability and stability of anti-cancer drugs. Nanocarrier-based imaging systems as theranostic tools in the treatment of lung carcinoma have proven to possess considerable benefits, such as early detection and targeted therapeutic delivery for effectively treating lung cancer. Several variants of nano-drug delivery agents have been successfully studied for therapeutic applications, such as liposomes, dendrimers, polymeric nanoparticles, nanoemulsions, carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticles, solid lipid nanoparticles, hydrogels, and micelles. In this Review, we present a comprehensive outline on the various types of overexpressed receptors in lung cancer, as well as the various targeting approaches of nanoparticles.

Lipid-Based Nanoparticles as a Pivotal Delivery Approach in Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) Therapy

Triple-negative breast cancer is considered the most aggressive type of breast cancer among women and the lack of expressed receptors has made treatment options substantially limited. Recently, various types of nanoparticles have emerged as a therapeutic option against TNBC, to elevate the therapeutic efficacy of the existing chemotherapeutics. Among the various nanoparticles, lipid-based nanoparticles (LNPs) viz. liposomes, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipid nanocarriers, and lipid–polymer hybrid nanoparticles are developed for cancer treatment which is well confirmed and documented. LNPs include various therapeutic advantages as compared to conventional therapy and other nanoparticles, including increased loading capacity, enhanced temporal and thermal stability, decreased therapeutic dose and associated toxicity, and limited drug resistance. In addition to these, LNPs overcome physiological barriers which provide increased accumulation of therapeutics at the target site. Extensive efforts by the scientific community could make some of the liposomal formulations the clinical reality; however, the relatively high cost, problems in scaling up the formulations, and delivery in a more targetable fashion are some of the major issues that need to be addressed. In the present review, we have compiled the state of the art about different types of LNPs with the latest advances reported for the treatment of TNBC in recent years, along with their clinical status and toxicity in detail.

Nanoparticle-Based Inhalation Therapy for Pulmonary Diseases

The lung is exposed to various pollutants and is the primary site for the onset of various diseases, including infections, allergies, and cancers. One possible treatment approach for such pulmonary diseases involves direct administration of therapeutics to the lung so as to maintain the topical concentration of the drug. Particles with nanoscale diameters tend to reach the pulmonary region. Nanoparticles (NPs) have garnered significant interest for applications in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries because of their unique physicochemical properties and biological activities. In this article, we describe the biological and pharmacological activities of NPs as well as summarize their potential in the formulation of drugs employed to treat pulmonary diseases. Recent advances in the use of NPs in inhalation chemotherapy for the treatment of lung diseases have also been highlighted.

Signaling Pathway Inhibitors, miRNA, and Nanocarrier-Based Pharmacotherapeutics for the Treatment of Lung Cancer: A Review

Lung cancer is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers and is responsible for a large number of deaths worldwide. The pathogenic mechanism of lung cancer is complex and multifactorial in origin. Thus, various signaling pathways as targets for therapy are being examined, and many new drugs are in the pipeline. However, both conventional and target-based drugs have been reported to present significant adverse effects, and both types of drugs can affect the clinical outcome in addition to patient quality of life. Recently, miRNA has been identified as a promising target for lung cancer treatment. Therefore, miRNA mimics, oncomiRs, or miRNA suppressors have been developed and studied for possible anticancer effects. However, these miRNAs also suffer from the limitations of low stability, biodegradation, thermal instability, and other issues. Thus, nanocarrier-based drug delivery for the chemotherapeutic drug delivery in addition to miRNA-based systems have been developed so that existing limitations can be resolved, and enhanced therapeutic outcomes can be achieved. Thus, this review discusses lung cancer's molecular mechanism, currently approved drugs, and their adverse effects. We also discuss miRNA biosynthesis and pathogenetic role, highlight pre-clinical and clinical evidence for use of miRNA in cancer therapy, and discussed limitations of this therapy. Furthermore, nanocarrier-based drug delivery systems to deliver chemotherapeutic drugs and miRNAs are described in detail. In brief, the present review describes the mechanism and up-to-date possible therapeutic approaches for lung cancer treatment and emphasizes future prospects to bring these novel approaches from bench to bedside.

Biological and pharmacological activities of noscapine: Focusing on its receptors and mechanisms

Noscapine has been mentioned as one of the effective drugs with potential therapeutic applications. With few side effects and amazing capabilities, noscapine can be considered different from other opioids-like structure compounds. Since 1930, extensive studies have been conducted in the field of pharmacological treatments from against malaria to control cough and cancer treatment. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that noscapine and some analogues, like 9-bromonoscapine, amino noscapine, and 9-nitronoscapine, can be used to treat polycystic ovaries syndrome, stroke, and other diseases. Given the numerous results presented in this field and the role of different receptors in the therapeutic effects of noscapine, we aimed to review the properties, therapeutic effects, and the role of receptors in the treatment of noscapine.

Recent advances in lipid-engineered multifunctional nanophytomedicines for cancer targeting

Cancer is a leading cause of death in many countries around the world. However, the efficacy of current treatments available for variety of cancers is considered to be suboptimal due to the pathophysiological challenges associated with the disease which limits the efficacy of the anticancer drugs. Moreover, the vulnerability towards off-target effects and high toxicity also limits the use of drugs for the treatment of cancers. Besides, the biopharmaceutical challenges like poor water solubility and permeability of the drugs, along with the absence of active targeting capability further decreases the utility of drugs in cancer therapy. As a result of these deficiencies, the current therapeutic strategies face noncompliance to patients for providing meaningful benefits after administration. With the advancements in nanotechnology, there has been a paradigm shift in the modalities for cancer treatment with the help of phytomedicine-based nanosized drug delivery systems coupled with variegated surface-engineering strategies for targeted drug delivery. Among these delivery systems, lipid-based nanoparticles are considered as one of the highly biocompatible, efficient and effective systems extensively explored for anticancer drug delivery. These include diverse range of systems including liposomes, nanoemulsions, solid lipid nanoparticles, nanostructured lipidic carriers and supramolecular carriers, which alters pharmacokinetic and biodistribution of the drugs for active targeting to the desired site of action by overcoming the biopharmaceutical challenges associated with anticancer drug delivery. The present review endeavours to provide a comprehensive account on the recent advances in the application of lipid-based nanostructured systems for improving the pharmacotherapeutic performance of phytomedicines for cancer targeting application.

Surface-engineered smart nanocarrier-based inhalation formulations for targeted lung cancer chemotherapy: a review of current practices

Lung cancer is the second most common and lethal cancer in the world. Chemotherapy is the preferred treatment modality for lung cancer and prolongs patient survival by effective controlling of tumor growth. However, owing to the nonspecific delivery of anticancer drugs, systemic chemotherapy has limited clinical efficacy and significant systemic adverse effects. Inhalation routes, on the other hand, allow for direct delivery of drugs to the lungs in high local concentrations, enhancing their anti-tumor activity with minimum side effects. Preliminary research studies have shown that inhaled chemotherapy may be tolerated with manageable adverse effects such as bronchospasm and cough. Enhancing the anticancer drugs deposition in tumor cells and limiting their distribution to other healthy cells will therefore increase their clinical efficacy and decrease their local and systemic toxicities. Because of the controlled release and localization of tumors, nanoparticle formulations are a viable option for the delivery of chemotherapeutics to lung cancers via inhalation. The respiratory tract physiology and lung clearance mechanisms are the key barriers to the effective deposition and preservation of inhaled nanoparticle formulations in the lungs. Designing and creating smart nanoformulations to optimize lung deposition, minimize pulmonary clearance, and improve cancerous tissue targeting have been the subject of recent research studies. This review focuses on recent examples of work in this area, along with the opportunities and challenges for the pulmonary delivery of smart nanoformulations to treat lung cancers.

Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) as drug delivery platform: Advances in formulation and delivery strategies

NLCs have provoked the incessant impulsion for the development of safe and valuable drug delivery systems owing to their exceptional physicochemical and then biocompatible characteristics. Throughout the earlier period, a lot of studies recounting NLCs based formulations have been noticeably increased. They are binary system which contains both solid and liquid lipids aiming to produce less ordered lipidic core. Their constituents particularly influence the physicochemical properties and effectiveness of the final product. NLCs can be fabricated by different techniques which are classified according to consumed energy. More utilization NLCs is essential due to overcome barriers surrounded by the technological procedure of lipid-based nanocarriers' formulation and increased information of the core mechanisms of their transport via various routes of administration. They can be used in different applications and by different routes such as oral, cutaneous, ocular and pulmonary. This review article seeks to present an overview on the existing situation of the art of NLCs for future clinics through exposition of their applications which shall foster their lucid use. The reported records evidently demonstrate the promise of NLCs for innovate therapeutic applications in the future.

Pulmonary Delivery of Anticancer Drugs via Lipid-Based Nanocarriers for the Treatment of Lung Cancer: An Update

Lung cancer (LC) is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths, responsible for approximately 18.4% of all cancer mortalities in both sexes combined. The use of systemic therapeutics remains one of the primary treatments for LC. However, the therapeutic efficacy of these agents is limited due to their associated severe adverse effects, systemic toxicity and poor selectivity. In contrast, pulmonary delivery of anticancer drugs can provide many advantages over conventional routes. The inhalation route allows the direct delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the target LC cells with high local concertation that may enhance the antitumor activity and lead to lower dosing and fewer systemic toxicities. Nevertheless, this route faces by many physiological barriers and technological challenges that may significantly affect the lung deposition, retention, and efficacy of anticancer drugs. The use of lipid-based nanocarriers could potentially overcome these problems owing to their unique characteristics, such as the ability to entrap drugs with various physicochemical properties, and their enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect for passive targeting. Besides, they can be functionalized with different targeting moieties for active targeting. This article highlights the physiological, physicochemical, and technological considerations for efficient inhalable anticancer delivery using lipid-based nanocarriers and their cutting-edge role in LC treatment.

Advancement in design of nanostructured lipid carriers for cancer targeting and theranostic application

BACKGROUND

Cancer development is associated with abnormal, uncontrolled cell growth and causes significant economic and social burdens to society. The global statistics of different cancers have been increasing because of the aging population, and the increasing prevalence of risk factors such as stress condition, overweight, changing reproductive patterns, and smoking. The prognosis of cancer treatment is high, if diagnosed in the early stage. Late-stage diagnosis, however, is still a big challenge for the clinician. The usual treatment scheme involves chemotherapy and surgery followed by radiotherapy.

SCOPE OF REVIEW

Chemotherapy is the most widely used therapeutic approach against cancer. However, it suffers from the major limitation of poor delivery of anticancer therapeutics to specific cancer-targeted tissues/cells.

MAJOR CONCLUSIONS

Nanomedicines, particularly nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) can improve the efficacy of encapsulated payload either through an active or passive targeting approach against different cancers. The targeted nanomedicine can be helpful in transporting drug carriers to the specifically tumor-targeted tissue/cells while sparing abstaining from the healthy tissue/cells. The active targeting utilizes the binding of a specific cancer ligand to the surface of the NLCs, which improves the therapeutic efficacy and safety of the cancer therapeutics.

GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE

This review shed light on the utilization of NLCs system for targeted therapy in different cancers. Furthermore, modification of NLCs as cancer theranostics is a recent advancement that is also discussed in the manuscript with a review of contemporary research carried out in this field.

Onion Extract Encapsulated on Nano Chitosan: a Promising Anticancer Agent

BACKGROUND

Onion (Allium cepa) is very rich in nutritional and pharmaceutical components, such as saponins, tannins, alkaloids, steroids, and phenols. Many recent researches approved its anticancer activity against various cancer cell lines. In this paper, we attempt to improve its anticancer activity with encapsulation on nano chitosan. On the best of our knowledge, this is considered the first study that tries to increase the anticancer activity of the onion extract on nano chitosan.

METHODS

An aqueous extract of the onion was prepared and the extract efficiency as anticancer agent was enhanced by encapsulating the extract on nano chitosan. The antioxidant capacity and the functional ingredients such as alkaloid, tannin, saponin, steroid, phenolic, and flavonoid in either the free or encapsulated one were estimated. Also, the anticancer activity of the two extracts was tested against different cell lines.

RESULTS

Encapsulation of the extract on chitosan nano particles decreased IC₅₀ in different cell lines and induced apoptosis through decreasing BCL-2 level and increasing caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity.

CONCLUSION

Onion extract encapsulated on nano chitosan can be used as protective agents from cancer, antitumor, or act synergistically with the cancer chemotherapy. This greatly participates in improving the use of natural products in cancer therapy instead of chemotherapy.

Visible light-induced mono-bromination of arenes with BrCCl3

A highly efficient and regioselective bromination of electron-rich arenes and heteroarenes using commercially available BrCCl3 as a "Br" source has been developed. The reaction was performed in air under mild conditions with photocatalyst Ru(bpy)3Cl2·6H2O, avoiding the usage of strong acids and strong oxidants. Mono-brominated products were obtained with medium to excellent yields (up to 94%). This strategy has shown good compatibility and high para-selectivity, which will facilitate the complicated synthesis.

Decoding the silent walk of COVID-19: Halting its spread using old bullets

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) develops within 3-14 days when CoV2 invades epithelial, myeloid cells in the nasopharynx and pneumocytes in the respiratory tract through angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE2). Infection swiftly disseminates to gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, renal organs as well as immune system to deregulate their normal functioning through unique and distinct mechanisms. The health system and economy has been intensely thwarted by the rapid spread and exorbitant mortality caused by COVID-19 disease across the globe. The acute progression of the disease and high infection rate pose an enormous challenge for its therapeutic management and critical care. The viral structure, genome and proteome have been deciphered which yielded cues for targeting already available therapeutic entities. More than 200 compounds have been screened and till date approximately 69 therapeutic agents are undergoing clinical trials across the world. Among these, remedesivir (RMD), chloroquine (CQ), hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), noscapine (NOS) and heparin have demonstrated fairly promising results in preclinical and clinical studies. Recently, RMD has been approved by USFDA for the management of COVID 19. However, intense research is going on to screen and ace the 'magic bullets' for the management of SARS-CoV2 infection worldwide. The current review illustrates the plausible therapeutic targets in SARS-CoV2 important for inhibition of virus cycle. In addition, the role of RMD, CQ, HCQ, NOS and heparin in combating infection has been addressed. The importance of vitamin C and D supplements as adjunct therapies in the prevention of SARS-CoV2 virus infection have also been summarized.

Pharmacokinetic Research Progress of Anti-tumor Drugs Targeting for Pulmonary Administration

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a major problem that threatens human survival and has a high mortality rate. The traditional chemotherapy methods are mainly intravenous injection and oral administration, but have obvious toxic and side effects. Anti-tumor drugs for pulmonary administration can enhance drug targeting, increase local drug concentration, and reduce the damage to systemic organs, especially for the treatment of lung cancer.

METHODS

The articles on the pharmacokinetics of anti-tumor drugs targeting pulmonary administration were retrieved from the Pub Med database. This article mainly took lung cancer as an example and summarized the pharmacokinetic characteristics of anti-tumor drugs targeting for pulmonary administration contained in nanoparticles, dendrimers, liposomes and micelles.

RESULTS

The review shows that the pharmacokinetics process of pulmonary administration is associated with a drug carrier by increasing the deposition and release of drugs in the lung, and retarding the lung clearance rate. Among them, the surface of dendrimers could be readily modified, and polymer micelles have favorable loading efficiency. In the case of inhalation administration, liposomes exhibit more excellent lung retention properties compared to other non-lipid carriers. Therefore, the appropriate drug carrier is instrumental to increase the curative effect of anti-tumor drugs and reduce the toxic effect on surrounding healthy tissues or organs.

CONCLUSION

In the process of pulmonary administration, the carrier-embedded antitumor drugs have the characteristics of targeted and sustained release compared with non-packaging drugs, which provides a theoretical basis for the clinical rational formulation of chemotherapy regimens. However, there is currently a lack of comparative research between drug packaging materials, and more importantly, the development of safe and effective anti-tumor drugs targeting for pulmonary administration requires more data.

Pharmacokinetics of inhaled nanotherapeutics for pulmonary delivery

Pulmonary delivery of lipid-based nanotherapeutics by inhalation presents an advantageous alternative to oral and intravenous routes of administration that avoids enzymatic degradation in gastrointestinal tract and hepatic first pass metabolism and also limits off-target adverse side effects upon heathy tissues. For lung-related indications, inhalation provides localized delivery in order to enhance therapeutic efficacy at the site of action. Optimization of physicochemical properties, selected drug and inhalation format can greatly influence the pharmacokinetic behavior of inhaled nanoparticle systems and their payloads. The present review analyzes a wide range of nanoparticle systems, their formulations and consequent effect on pharmacokinetic distribution of delivered active components after inhalation.

Paeonol loaded cyclodextrin metal-organic framework particles for treatment of acute lung injury via inhalation

Administration of drugs via inhalation can overcome issues related to poor water solubility, low absorption or bioavailability associated with oral administration. In the current study we used γ-cyclodextrin metal organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) - of inhalable particle sizes, with cubic morphologies and favorable aerodynamic properties to achieve targeted pulmonary drug delivery via dry powder inhalers. The active natural compound, paeonol (PAE), was chosen as a model drug for treatment of acute lung injury (ALI). After loading of PAE into CD-MOF particles of inhalable sizes, PAE was rapidly released in phosphate buffer (pH = 7.4; 90% within 30 min) and in vivo experiments. After mixing with coarse and fine lactose (Inhalac®230: Inhalac®400: PAE-CD-MOF = 40:10:50, w/w/w), paeonol had a high fine particle fraction (FPF) (28.59%). Atom force microscopy was used to assess surface roughness and adhesive force. In vivo inhalation of PAE-CD-MOF dry powder inhaler by rat demonstrated rapid absorption (t_max of 4.0 min) and high absolute bioavailability (71%) of PAE, highlighting significant improvements in absorption and bioavailability of PAE when compared with oral administration (C_max and absolute bioavailability increased 6.5 and 9.3 folds, respectively). Results of in vivo experiments were consistent with cellular permeability studies (after loading into CD-MOF, the permeability of PAE improved about 5 folds in comparison to the pure PAE). Finally, the efficacy of inhaled PAE for ALI was validated by histopathological examination and via reduced levels of inflammatory factors observed in rat plasma. Overall, targeted pulmonary delivery of paeonol by inhaled PAE-CD-MOF particles appears to be promising method of delivery for treatment of ALI.

Biocompatibility of Biomaterials for Nanoencapsulation: Current Approaches

Nanoencapsulation is an approach to circumvent shortcomings such as reduced bioavailability, undesirable side effects, frequent dosing and unpleasant organoleptic properties of conventional drug delivery systems. The process of nanoencapsulation involves the use of biomaterials such as surfactants and/or polymers, often in combination with charge inducers and/or ligands for targeting. The biomaterials selected for nanoencapsulation processes must be as biocompatible as possible. The type(s) of biomaterials used for different nanoencapsulation approaches are highlighted and their use and applicability with regard to haemo- and, histocompatibility, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity and carcinogenesis are discussed.

Immune cell engineering: opportunities in lung cancer therapeutics

Engineered immune cells offer a prime therapeutic alternate for some aggressive and frequently occurring malignancies like lung cancer. These therapies were reported to result in tumor regression and overall improvement in patient survival. However, studies also suggest that the presence of cancer cell-induced immune-suppressive microenvironment, off-target toxicity, and difficulty in concurrent imaging are some prime impendent in the success of these approaches. The present article reviews the need and significance of the currently available immune cell-based strategies for lung cancer therapeutics. It also showcases the utility of incorporating nanoengineered strategies and details the available formulations of nanocarriers. In last, it briefly discussed the existing methods for nanoparticle fuctionalization and challenges in translating basic research to the clinics. Graphical Abstract.

Fumaryl diketopiperazine based effervescent microparticles to escape macrophage phagocytosis for enhanced treatment of pneumonia via pulmonary delivery

The treatment of pulmonary infections with antibiotics administered via pulmonary delivery provides for higher local therapeutic efficacy rather than through systemic administration. Pneumonia is globally considered a major cause of death due to a lack of proper medication. The treatment of pneumonia with inhalable antibiotics (such as azithromycin (AZM)) can provide a maximum pulmonary therapeutic effect without significant systemic side effects. Compared to non-effervescent microparticles, effervescent microparticles can provide an active driving force to release loaded antibiotics for subsequent distribution deep into the lung by virtue of its smaller size. In this study, N-fumaroylated diketopiperazine (FDKP) was used as a carrier to prepare effervescent inhalable microparticles loaded with AZM (AZM@FDKP-E-MPs). This effervescent dry powder was characterized for both in vitro and in vivo deposition in the lung and the results obtained showed significant improvement in lung deposition and anti-bacterial efficiency, suggesting a strong potential application for pneumonia treatment.

Probing the Intercalation of Noscapine from Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Micelles to Calf Thymus Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid: A Mechanistic Approach

Noscapine (NOS) is efficient in inhibiting cellular proliferation and induces apoptosis in nonsmall cell, lung, breast, lymphatic, and prostate cancers. The micelle-assisted drug delivery is a well-known phenomenon; however, the proper mechanism is still unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we have shown a mechanistic approach for the delivery of NOS from sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) micelles to calf thymus deoxyribose nucleic acid (ctDNA) base-pairs using various spectroscopic techniques. The absorption and emission spectroscopy results revealed that NOS interacts with the SDS micelle and resides in its hydrophobic core. Further, the intercalation of NOS from SDS micelles to ctDNA was also shown by these techniques. The anisotropy and quenching results further confirmed the relocation of NOS from SDS micelles to ctDNA. The CD analysis suggested that SDS micelles do not perturb the structure of ctDNA, which supported that SDS micelles can be used as a safe delivery vehicle for NOS. This work may be helpful for the invention of advanced micelle-based vehicles for the delivery of an anticancer drug to their specific target site.

Toxicological assessment of nanoparticle interactions with the pulmonary system

Nanoparticle(NP)-based materials have breakthrough applications in many fields of life, such as in engineering, communications and textiles industries; food and bioenvironmental applications; medicines and cosmetics, etc. Biomedical applications of NPs are very active areas of research with successful translation to pharmaceutical and clinical uses overcoming both pharmaceutical and clinical challenges. Although the attractiveness and enhanced applications of these NPs stem from their exceptional properties at the nanoscale size, i.e. 1-1000 nm, they exhibit completely different physicochemical profiles and, subsequently, toxicological profiles from their parent bulk materials. Hence, the clinical evaluation and toxicological assessment of NPs interactions within biological systems are continuously evolving to ensure their safety at the nanoscale. The pulmonary system is one of the primary routes of exposure to airborne NPs either intentionally, via aerosolized nanomedicines targeting pulmonary pathologies such as cancer or asthma, or unintentionally, via natural NPs and anthropogenic (man-made) NPs. This review presents the state-of-the-art, contemporary challenges, and knowledge gaps in the toxicological assessment of NPs interactions with the pulmonary system. It highlights the main mechanisms of NP toxicity, factors influencing their toxicity, the different toxicological assessment methods and their drawbacks, and the recent NP regulatory guidelines based on literature collected from the research pool of NPs interactions with lung cell lines, in vivo inhalation studies, and clinical trials.

Lipid-Based Nanoparticles: Application and Recent Advances in Cancer Treatment

Many therapeutically active molecules are non-soluble in aqueous systems, chemically and biologically fragile or present severe side effects. Lipid-based nanoparticle (LBNP) systems represent one of the most promising colloidal carriers for bioactive organic molecules. Their current application in oncology has revolutionized cancer treatment by improving the antitumor activity of several chemotherapeutic agents. LBNPs advantages include high temporal and thermal stability, high loading capacity, ease of preparation, low production costs, and large-scale industrial production since they can be prepared from natural sources. Moreover, the association of chemotherapeutic agents with lipid nanoparticles reduces active therapeutic dose and toxicity, decreases drug resistance and increases drug levels in tumor tissue by decreasing them in healthy tissue. LBNPs have been extensively assayed in in vitro cancer therapy but also in vivo, with promising results in some clinical trials. This review summarizes the types of LBNPs that have been developed in recent years and the main results when applied in cancer treatment, including essential assays in patients.

The potential to treat lung cancer via inhalation of repurposed drugs

Lung cancer is a highly invasive and prevalent disease with ineffective first-line treatment and remains the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. Despite the improvements in diagnosis and therapy, the prognosis and outcome of lung cancer patients is still poor. This could be associated with the lack of effective first-line oncology drugs, formation of resistant tumors and non-optimal administration route. Therefore, the repurposing of existing drugs currently used for different indications and the introduction of a different method of drug administration could be investigated as an alternative to improve lung cancer therapy. This review describes the rationale and development of repositioning of drugs for lung cancer treatment with emphasis on inhalation. The review includes the current progress of repurposing non-cancer drugs, as well as current chemotherapeutics for lung malignancies via inhalation. Several potential non-cancer drugs such as statins, itraconazole and clarithromycin, that have demonstrated preclinical anti-cancer activity, are also presented. Furthermore, the potential challenges and limitations that might hamper the clinical translation of repurposed oncology drugs are described.

Iodinated curcumin bearing dermal cream augmented drug delivery, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities

OBJECTIVES

Curcumin (Cur) exhibits weak microbicidal activity owing to high lipophilicity and low cell permeability. Therefore, in the present investigation, Cur was iodinated using elemental iodine (I₂) to synthesise Cur-I₂ powder that was later formulated as Cur-I₂ dermal cream and characterised in vitro for antimicrobial and antioxidant activities.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Electrophilic addition of I₂ saturated the olefinic bonds of Cur, as confirmed by UV/visible spectroscopy, FT-IR, ¹H NMR and DSC techniques. In addition, in vitro skin permeation and retention analysis indicated that Cur-I₂ cream followed the first order and Higuchi model for drug release through the rat skin. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Cur-I₂ powder was measured to be 60 and 90 µg/ml significantly (p < 0.05) lower than 150 and 120 µg/ml of Cur against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, respectively. Moreover, Cur-I₂ also exhibited strong antioxidant potential.

CONCLUSIONS

Cur-I₂ cream warrants further in vivo study to scale up the technology for clinical translation.

Pulmonary delivery of nanoparticle chemotherapy for the treatment of lung cancers: challenges and opportunities

Lung cancer is the second most prevalent and the deadliest among all cancer types. Chemotherapy is recommended for lung cancers to control tumor growth and to prolong patient survival. Systemic chemotherapy typically has very limited efficacy as well as severe systemic adverse effects, which are often attributed to the distribution of anticancer drugs to non-targeted sites. In contrast, inhalation routes permit the delivery of drugs directly to the lungs providing high local concentrations that may enhance the anti-tumor effect while alleviating systemic adverse effects. Preliminary studies in animals and humans have suggested that most inhaled chemotherapies are tolerable with manageable pulmonary adverse effects, including cough and bronchospasm. Promoting the deposition of anticancer drugs in tumorous cells and minimizing access to healthy lung cells can further augment the efficacy and reduce the risk of local toxicities caused by inhaled chemotherapy. Sustained release and tumor localization characteristics make nanoparticle formulations a promising candidate for the inhaled delivery of chemotherapeutic agents against lung cancers. However, the physiology of respiratory tracts and lung clearance mechanisms present key barriers for the effective deposition and retention of inhaled nanoparticle formulations in the lungs. Recent research has focused on the development of novel formulations to maximize lung deposition and to minimize pulmonary clearance of inhaled nanoparticles. This article systematically reviews the challenges and opportunities for the pulmonary delivery of nanoparticle formulations for the treatment of lung cancers.

Cellular interactions of a lipid-based nanocarrier model with human keratinocytes: Unravelling transport mechanisms

Knowledge of delivery system transport through epidermal cell monolayer is vital to improve skin permeation and bioavailability. Recently, nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have gained great attention for transdermal delivery due to their biocompatibility, high drug payload, occlusive properties and skin hydration effect. However, the nanocarriers transport related mechanisms in epidermal epithelial cells are not yet understood. In this research, the internalization and transport pathways of the NLCs across the epidermal epithelial cell monolayer (HaCaT cells) were investigated. The 250nm sized witepsol/miglyol NLCs, prepared by hot homogenization had reduced cytotoxicity and no effect on the integrity of cell membrane in human HaCaT keratinocytes. The internalization was time-, concentration- and energy-dependent, and the uptake of NLCs was a vesicle-mediated process by macropinocytosis and clathrin-mediated pathways. 3% of NLCs were found at the apical membrane side of the HaCaT monolayer through exocytosis mechanism. Additionally, the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and microtubules played crucial roles in the transport of NLCs out of HaCaT cells. NLCs were transported intact across the human keratinocytes monolayer, without disturbing the tight junction's structure. From the transcytosis data only approximately 12% of the internalized NLCs were passed from the apical to the basolateral side. The transcytosis of NLCs throughout the HaCaT cell monolayer towards the basolateral membrane side requires the involvement of the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and microtubules. Our findings may contribute to a systematic understanding of NLCs transport across epidermal epithelial cell monolayers and their optimization for clinical transdermal application.

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Transdermal drug delivery is a challenging and growing area of clinical application. Lipid nanoparticles such as nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) have gained wide interest for transdermal drug delivery. However these nanocarriers' interactions with epidermal epithelial barrier are yet unknown. Unveiling the mechanisms involved in NLCs transport across the epidermal epithelial monolayers will contribute with valuable information to achieve enhanced skin permeability, superior bioavailability and consequently improved therapeutic effect. With our present work we could certainly provide researchers and clinicians guidance for the design of optimized transdermal delivery systems, based on the nanomaterials and biological interactions.

Loco-regional administration of nanomedicines for the treatment of lung cancer

Lung cancer poses one of the most significant challenges to modern medicine, killing thousands every year. Current therapy involves surgical resection supplemented with chemotherapy and radiotherapy due to high rates of relapse. Shortcomings of currently available chemotherapy protocols include unacceptably high levels of systemic toxicity and low accumulation of drug at the tumor site. Loco-regional delivery of nanocarriers loaded with anticancer agents has the potential to significantly increase efficacy, while minimizing systemic toxicity to anticancer agents. Local drug administration at the tumor site using nanoparticulate drug delivery systems can reduce systemic toxicities observed with intravenously administered anticancer drugs. In addition, this approach presents an opportunity for sustained delivery of anticancer drug over an extended period of time. Herein, the progress in the development of locally administered nanomedicines for the treatment of lung cancer is reviewed. Administration by inhalation, intratumoral injection and means of direct in situ application are discussed, the benefits and drawbacks of each modality are explored.

Nanotechnology-based inhalation treatments for lung cancer: state of the art

Considering the challenges associated with conventional chemotherapy, targeted and local delivery of chemotherapeutics via nanoparticle (NP) carriers to the lungs is an emerging area of interest. Recent studies and growing clinical application in cancer nanotechnology showed the huge potential of NPs as drug carriers in cancer therapy, including in lung carcinoma for diagnosis, imaging, and theranostics. Researchers have confirmed that nanotechnology-based inhalation chemotherapy is viable and more effective than conventional chemotherapy, with lesser side effects. Recently, many nanocarriers have been investigated, including liposomes, polymeric micelles, polymeric NPs, solid lipid NPs, and inorganic NPs for inhalation treatments of lung cancer. Yet, the toxicity of such nanomaterials to the lungs tissues and further distribution to other organs due to systemic absorption on inhalation delivery is a debatable concern. Here, prospect of NPs-based local lung cancer targeting through inhalation route as well as its associated challenges are discussed.

Medicinal Plants: Their Use in Anticancer Treatment

Globally cancer is a disease which severely effects the human population. There is a constant demand for new therapies to treat and prevent this life-threatening disease. Scientific and research interest is drawing its attention towards naturally-derived compounds as they are considered to have less toxic side effects compared to current treatments such as chemotherapy. The Plant Kingdom produces naturally occurring secondary metabolites which are being investigated for their anticancer activities leading to the development of new clinical drugs. With the success of these compounds that have been developed into staple drugs for cancer treatment new technologies are emerging to develop the area further. New technologies include nanoparticles for nano-medicines which aim to enhance anticancer activities of plant-derived drugs by controlling the release of the compound and investigating new methods for administration. This review discusses the demand for naturally-derived compounds from medicinal plants and their properties which make them targets for potential anticancer treatments.

The Noscapine Chronicle: A Pharmaco-Historic Biography of the Opiate Alkaloid Family and its Clinical Applications

Given its manifold potential therapeutic applications and amenability to modification, noscapine is a veritable "Renaissance drug" worthy of commemoration. Perhaps the only facet of noscapine's profile more astounding than its versatility is its virtual lack of side effects and addictive properties, which distinguishes it from other denizens of Papaver somniferum. This review intimately chronicles the rich intellectual and pharmacological history behind the noscapine family of compounds, the length of whose arms was revealed over decades of patient scholarship and experimentation. We discuss the intriguing story of this family of nontoxic alkaloids, from noscapine's purification from opium at the turn of the 19th century in Paris to the recent torrent of rationally designed analogs with tremendous anticancer potential. In between, noscapine's unique pharmacology; impact on cellular signaling pathways, the mitotic spindle, and centrosome clustering; use as an antimalarial drug and cough suppressant; and exceptional potential as a treatment for polycystic ovarian syndrome, strokes, and diverse malignancies are catalogued. Seminal experiments involving some of its more promising analogs, such as amino-noscapine, 9-nitronoscapine, 9-bromonoscapine, and reduced bromonoscapine, are also detailed. Finally, the bright future of these oftentimes even more exceptional derivatives is described, rounding out a portrait of a truly remarkable family of compounds.