Programmed-stimuli responsive carrier-free multidrug delivery system for highly efficient trimodal combination therapy

Revolutionary NIR-activated silicon nanoparticles: precision-controlled release and targeted 3D cancer cell destruction

In cancer therapy, controlled and targeted drug release systems are essential to maximize therapeutic outcomes while minimizing adverse effects. This study introduces an innovative mesoporous silicon nanoparticle (MSN) platform, functionalized with the natural anticancer agent dieckol (Di) and designed for precise drug delivery activated by near-infrared (NIR) irradiation. By embedding Di and grafting fluorescent organic conjugates onto the MSN surface, this innovative nanocarrier demonstrates exceptional sensitivity to NIR stimuli and potent chemo-photothermal effects. Notably, drug release remains stable across different pH conditions (7.4, 6.5, and 5.5), ensuring consistent therapeutic delivery. However, upon NIR exposure, the release can be selectively accelerated, enabling precise, real-time, and on-demand drug release control for enhanced treatment efficacy. Cytotoxicity tests revealed that IPSi-Dox-Di-DQA nanoparticles exhibited potent dose-dependent inhibition of cancer cell growth (SH-SY5Y and B16-F10), while sparing healthy cells (HEK-293), highlighting their specificity. Furthermore, advanced 3D cell viability assays mimic the complexities of in vivo cancer environments, with spheroid disintegration under nanoparticle treatment underscoring the platform's powerful anticancer potential. These findings position IPSi-Dox-Di-DQA nanoparticles as a promising frontier in the development of selective, effective cancer therapeutics through synergistic NIR-controlled drug release and mitochondrial targeting.

A free-radical initiator-based carrier-free smart nanobomb for targeted synergistic therapy of hypoxic breast cancer

Thermodynamic therapy (TDT) is a promising alternative to photodynamic therapy (PDT) by absorbing heat through thermosensitive agents (TSAs) to generate oxygen-irrelevant highly toxic free radicals. Therefore, TDT can be a perfect partner for photothermal therapy (PTT) to achieve efficient synergistic treatment of anoxic tumors using a single laser, greatly simplifying the treatment process and overcoming hypoxia limitations. However, the issues of how to improve the stability and delivery efficiency of TSAs still need to be addressed urgently. Herein, polyethylene glycol-folic acid (PEG-FA)-modified and indocyanine green (ICG)-encapsulated nanoscale Zn2+ and 2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane] dihydrochloride (AIPH) coordinated nanomaterials (IANM-PEG-FA) were developed as a nanobomb for targeted photothermal/thermodynamic/ion-interference cancer therapy. Co-triggered by a single 808 nm laser and mildly acidic tumor microenvironment, the photothermal agent of ICG would induce rapid decomposition of AIPH to generate alkyl radicals and release ICG and Zn2+, resulting in effectively cascaded oxygen-independent photothermal/thermodynamic therapy and co-enhanced synergistic intracellular overload of Zn2+ interference. Additionally, PEG-FA enabled favorable stability and active targeting ability to achieve low side effects and efficient tumor enrichment for good photothermal/near-infrared fluorescence imaging-guided precise tumor therapy. Significantly, the IANM-PEG-FA nanosystem exhibited remarkable anticancer effects even at low doses in hypoxic breast cancer, achieving 80% tumor elimination. Our study might provide a highly effective strategy for developing a multifunctional carrier-free nanosystem with high performance in hypoxic cancer to meet the requirements in the clinic.

Intelligent Drug Delivery: Pioneering Stimuli-Responsive Systems to Revolutionize Disease Management- An In-depth Exploration

In recent years, there has been an escalating interest in stimuli-responsive drug delivery systems (SRDDS) due to their ability to revolutionize the delivery of therapeutics. SRDDSs offer a multitude of benefits in comparison to conventional drug delivery systems (DDS), including spatiotemporal control of drug release, targeted delivery, and improved therapeutic efficacy. The development of various classes of stimuli-responsive DDS, such as pH-responsive, temperature-responsive, photo-responsive, redox responsive systems, has been propelled by advances in materials science, nanotechnology, and biotechnology. These systems exploit specific environmental or physiological cues to trigger drug release in a precisely controlled manner, making them highly promising for the treatment of various diseases. In this review article, an in-depth exploration of the principles, mechanisms, and applications of SRDDS in the context of diverse pathologies such as cancer, arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis and tissue engineering has been provided. Furthermore, this article delves into the discussion of recent patents, market overview and the progress of research in clinical trials. Overall, this article underscores the transformative potential of SRDDS in enabling personalized, precise, and effective drug delivery for the treatment of the above-mentioned diseases.

Polydopamine-functionalized calcium-deficient hydroxyapatite 3D-printed scaffold with sustained doxorubicin release for synergistic chemo-photothermal therapy of osteosarcoma and accelerated bone regeneration

Interior bone-tissue regeneration and rapid tumor recurrence post-resection are critical challenges in osteosarcoma and other bone cancers. Conventional bone tissue engineering scaffolds lack inhibitory effects on bone tumor recurrence. Herein, multifunctional scaffolds (named DOX/PDA@CDHA) were designed through the spontaneous polymerization of Dopamine (PDA) on the surface of Calcium Deficient Hydroxyapatite (CDHA) scaffolds, followed by in situ loading of the chemotherapeutic drug Doxorubicin (DOX). The PDA coating endowed the scaffolds with significant photothermal properties, while the gradual release of DOX provided an effective chemotherapeutic effect. The on-demand release of DOX at tumor sites, triggered by dual stimulation (near-infrared (NIR) light and the acidic pH typical of tumor microenvironments), specifically targets cancer cells, thereby mitigating systemic side effects. These unique characteristics facilitated effective osteosarcoma eradication both in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the scaffold's composition, which mimics the mineral phase of natural bone and is enhanced by PDA's biocompatibility, promotes critical osteogenic and angiogenic processes. This facilitates not only tumor eradication but also the regeneration of healthy bone tissue. Collectively, this study presents a potent candidate for the regeneration of bone defects induced by osteosarcoma.

Aggregable gold nanoparticles for cancer photothermal therapy

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an important non-invasive cancer treatment method. Enhancing the photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) of photothermal agents (PTAs) and prolonging their tumor accumulation and retention are effective strategies to enhance the efficiency of cancer PTT. Recently, tremendous progress has been made in developing stimuli-responsive aggregable gold nanoparticles as effective PTAs for PTT. In this review, we discuss the chemical principles underlying gold nanoparticle aggregation and highlight the progress in gold nanoparticle aggregation triggered by different stimuli, especially tumor microenvironment-related factors, for cancer PTT. Covalent condensation reactions, click cycloaddition reactions, chelation reactions, and Au-S bonding, as well as non-covalent electrostatic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, hydrogen bonding, and van der Waals forces play key roles in the aggregation of gold nanoparticles. Enzymes, pH, reactive oxygen species, small molecules, salts, and light drive the occurrence of gold nanoparticle aggregation. Targeted aggregation of gold nanoparticles prolongs tumor accumulation and retention of PTAs and improves PCE, resulting in enhanced tumor PTT. Moreover, the major challenges of aggregable gold nanoparticles as PTAs are pointed out and the promising applications are also prospected at the end. With the deepening of research, we expect aggregable gold nanoparticles to become essential PTAs for tumor therapy.

Nucleus-targeting DNase I self-assembly delivery system guided by pirarubicin for programmed multi-drugs release and combined anticancer therapy

The cell nucleus serves as the pivotal command center of living cells, and delivering therapeutic agents directly into the nucleus can result in highly efficient anti-tumor eradication of cancer cells. However, nucleus-targeting drug delivery is very difficult due to the presence of numerous biological barriers. Here, three antitumor drugs (DNase I, ICG: indocyanine green, and THP: pirarubicin) were sequentially triggered protein self-assembly to produce a nucleus-targeting and programmed responsive multi-drugs delivery system (DIT). DIT consisted of uniform spherical particles with a size of 282 ± 7.7 nm. The acidic microenvironment of tumors and near-infrared light could successively trigger DIT for the programmed release of three drugs, enabling targeted delivery to the tumor. THP served as a nucleus-guiding molecule and a chemotherapy drug. Through THP-guided DIT, DNase I was successfully delivered to the nucleus of tumor cells and killed them by degrading their DNA. Tumor acidic microenvironment had the ability to induce DIT, leading to the aggregation of sufficient ICG in the tumor tissues. This provided an opportunity for the photothermal therapy of ICG. Hence, three drugs were cleverly combined using a simple method to achieve multi-drugs targeted delivery and highly effective combined anticancer therapy.

Natural-product-based, carrier-free, noncovalent nanoparticles for tumor chemo-photodynamic combination therapy

Cancer, with its diversity, heterogeneity, and complexity, is a significant contributor to global morbidity, disability, and mortality, highlighting the necessity for transformative treatment approaches. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) has aroused continuous interest as a viable alternative to conventional cancer treatments that encounter drug resistance. Nanotechnology has brought new advances in medicine and has shown great potential in drug delivery and cancer treatment. For precise and efficient therapeutic utilization of such a tumor therapeutic approach with high spatiotemporal selectivity and minimal invasiveness, the carrier-free noncovalent nanoparticles (NPs) based on chemo-photodynamic combination therapy is essential. Utilizing natural products as the foundation for nanodrug development offers unparalleled advantages, including exceptional pharmacological activity, easy functionalization/modification, and well biocompatibility. The natural-product-based, carrier-free, noncovalent NPs revealed excellent synergistic anticancer activity in comparison with free photosensitizers and free bioactive natural products, representing an alternative and favorable combination therapeutic avenue to improve therapeutic efficacy. Herein, a comprehensive summary of current strategies and representative application examples of carrier-free noncovalent NPs in the past decade based on natural products (such as paclitaxel, 10-hydroxycamptothecin, doxorubicin, etoposide, combretastatin A4, epigallocatechin gallate, and curcumin) for tumor chemo-photodynamic combination therapy. We highlight the insightful design and synthesis of the smart carrier-free NPs that aim to enhance PDT efficacy. Meanwhile, we discuss the future challenges and potential opportunities associated with these NPs to provide new enlightenment, spur innovative ideas, and facilitate PDT-mediated clinical transformation.

Three-pronged attacks by hybrid nanoassemblies involving a natural product, carbon dots, and Cu2+ for synergistic HCC therapy

Tumor microenvironment (TME) stimuli-responsive nanoassemblies are emerging as promising drug delivery systems (DDSs), which acquire controlled release by structural transformation under exogenous stimulation. However, the design of smart stimuli-responsive nanoplatforms integrated with nanomaterials to achieve complete tumor ablation remains challenging. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to develop TME-based stimuli-responsive DDSs to enhance drug-targeted delivery and release at tumor sites. Herein, we proposed an appealing strategy to construct fluorescence-mediated TME stimulus-responsive nanoplatforms for synergistic cancer therapy by assembling photosensitizers (PSs) carbon dots (CDs), chemotherapeutic agent ursolic acid (UA), and copper ions (Cu2+). First, UA nanoparticles (UA NPs) were prepared by self-assembly of UA, then UA NPs were assembled with CDs via hydrogen bonding force to obtain UC NPs. After combining with Cu2+, the resulting particles (named UCCu2+ NPs) exhibited quenched fluorescence and photosensitization due to the aggregation of UC NPs. Upon entering the tumor tissue, the photodynamic therapy (PDT) and the fluorescence function of UCCu2+ were recovered in response to TME stimulation. The introduction of Cu2+ triggered the charge reversal of UCCu2+ NPs, thereby promoting lysosomal escape. Furthermore, Cu2+ resulted in additional chemodynamic therapy (CDT) capacity by reacting with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) as well as by consuming glutathione (GSH) in cancer cells through a redox reaction, hence magnifying intracellular oxidative stress and enhancing the therapeutic efficacy due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) therapy. In summary, UCCu2+ NPs provided an unprecedented novel approach for improving the therapeutic efficacy through the three-pronged (chemotherapy, phototherapy, and heat-reinforced CDT) attacks to achieve synergistic therapy.

Engineered Polymeric Nanovector for Intracellular Peptide Delivery in Antitumor Therapy

Objective

This study aimed to deliver a polypeptide from the Bax-BH3 domain (BHP) through the synthesis of self-assembled amphiphile nanovectors (NVs) and to assess their potential for cancer therapeutic applications and biological safety in vitro and in vivo. These findings provide valuable options for cancer intervention and a novel approach for the rational design of therapeutics.

Methods

We studied the antitumor activity of BHP by preparing RGDfK-PHPMA-b-Poly (MMA-alt-(Rhob-MA)) (RPPMMRA) and encapsulating it in BHP-NV. We also performed a series of characterizations and property analyses of RPPMMRA, including its size, stability, and drug-carrying capacity. The biocompatibility of RPPMMRA was evaluated in terms of cytotoxicity and hemolytic effects. The pro-apoptotic capacity of BHP was evaluated in vitro using mitochondrial membrane potential, flow cytometry, and apoptosis visualization techniques. The potential therapeutic effects of BHP on tumors were explored using reverse molecular docking. We also investigated the in vivo proapoptotic effect of BHP-NV in a nude mouse tumor model.

Results

NVs were successfully prepared with hydrated particle sizes ranging from 189.6 nm to 256.6 nm, spherical overall, and were able to remain stable in different media for 72 h with drug loading up to 15.2%. The NVs were be successfully internalized within 6 h with good biocompatibility. Neither BHP nor NV showed significant toxicity when administered alone, however, BHP-NV demonstrated significant side effects in vitro and in vivo. The apoptosis rate increased significantly from 14.13% to 66.34%. Experiments in vivo showed that BHP-NV exhibited significant apoptotic and tumor-suppressive effects.

Conclusion

A targeted fluorescent NV with high drug delivery efficiency and sustained release protected the active center of BHP, constituting BHP-NV for targeted delivery. RPPMMRA demonstrated excellent biocompatibility, stability, and drug loading ability, whereas and BHP-NV demonstrated potent antitumor effects in vivo and in vitro.

Construction of multi-program responsive vitamin E succinate-chitosan-histidine nanocarrier and its response strategy in tumor therapy

Multifunctional drug delivery carriers have emerged as a promising cancer drug delivery strategy. Here, we developed a vitamin E succinate-chitosan-histidine (VCH) multi-program responsive drug carrier. The structure was characterized by FT-IR and 1H NMR spectrum, and the DLS and SEM results showed typical nanostructures. The drug loading content was 21.0 % and the corresponding encapsulation efficiency was 66.6 %. The UV-vis and fluorescence spectra demonstrated the existence of the π-π stacking interaction between DOX and VCH. Drug release experiments implied good pH sensitivity and sustained-release effect. The DOX/VCH nanoparticles could be efficiently taken up by HepG2 cancer cells and the tumor inhibition rate was up to 56.27 %. The DOX/VCH reduced the tumor volume and weight efficiently with a TIR of 45.81 %. The histological analysis results showed that DOX/VCH could effectively inhibit tumor growth and proliferation, and there was no damage to normal organs. VCH nanocarriers could combine the advantages of VES, histidine and chitosan to achieve pH sensitivity and P-gp inhibition, and effectively improve the drug solubility, targeting and lysosomal escape. Through the program response of different micro-environment, the newly developed polymeric micelles could successfully be utilized as a multi-program responsive nanocarrier system for the treatment of cancers.

Synergistic therapeutic antitumor effect of PD-1 blockade cellular vesicles in combination with Iguratimod and Rhodium nanoparticles

Immune checkpoint blockade has emerged as a significant therapeutic development in immunotherapy during the past decade. However, only a small percentage of cancer patients respond to checkpoint blockade, suggesting that a fundamental knowledge of the underlying processes of immune checkpoint receptor signaling remains elusive and that novel therapeutic medications are needed. Here, the programmed cell death protein 1(PD-1) expressing nanovesicles were developed to enhance T cell activity. Iguratimod (IGU) and Rhodium (Rh) nanoparticles (NPs) were loaded in PD-1 nanovesicles (NVs) for synergistic therapeutic antitumor effects against lung cancer and metastasis. For the first time, this study revealed that IGU exhibits an antitumor effect by inhibiting the phosphorylation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and Rh-NPs provided a photothermal effect by improving reactive oxygen species (ROS)-dependent apoptosis in lung cancer cells. IGU-Rh-PD-1 NVs also reduced the migration ability through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) pathway. Furthermore, IGU-Rh-PD-1 NVs reached the targeted site and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. This strategy could boost T cell performance and simultaneously possess chemotherapeutic and photothermal therapy to serve as a new combination therapy for lung cancer and potentially other aggressive cancer.