Strategies to improve the EPR effect: A mechanistic perspective and clinical translation

Targeting lipid metabolism via nanomedicine: A prospective strategy for cancer therapy

Lipid metabolism has been increasingly recognized to play an influencing role in tumor initiation, progression, metastasis, and therapeutic drug resistance. Targeting lipid metabolic reprogramming represents a promising therapeutic strategy. Despite their structural complexity and poor targeting efficacy, lipid-metabolizing drugs, either used alone or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents, have been employed in clinical practice. The advent of nanotechnology offers new approaches to enhancing therapeutic effects, includingthe targeted delivery and integration of lipid metabolic reprogramming with chemotherapy, photodynamic therapy (PDT), and immunotherapy. The integrated nanoformulation, nanomedicine, could significantly advance the field of lipid metabolism therapy. In this review, we will briefly introduce the concept of cancer lipid metabolism reprogramming, then elaborate the latest advances in engineered nanomedicine for targeting lipid metabolism during cancer treatment, and finally provide our insights into future perspectives of nanomedicine for interference with lipid metabolism in the tumor microenvironment.

Lactoferrin-encapsulated dichloroacetophenone (DAP) nanoparticles enhance drug delivery and anti-tumor efficacy in prostate cancer

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase 1 (PDK1) regulates glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation pathways and is linked to prostate cancer metastasis and poor prognosis. The therapeutic application of 2,2-dichloroacetophenone (DAP), a PDK1 inhibitor, remains underexplored in prostate cancer. In this study we demonstrated that DAP exhibited a superior ability to inhibit prostate cancer cell proliferation, migration and colony formation at a lower concentration (20 μM) compared to a previously established inhibitor, dichloroacetate (DCA), which required concentrations of 30 mM or higher. However, poor aqueous solubility and lower stability of DAP limits its therapeutic application. Nano formulation of DAP with natural lactoferrin enhanced its dispersion and stability by increasing polydispersity index and intensity, and reduced zeta potential values upon conjugation that overcame the solubility limitations of DAP. The lactoferrin-DAP nanoparticles exhibited enhanced therapeutic efficacy by precisely targeting prostate cancer cells that express high lactoferrin receptors and high anti-tumor activity in vitro (at 1 μM) and in mouse prostate tumor xenografts (20 mg/kg). Mechanistically, these nanoparticles induce apoptosis in cancer cells by inducing caspase3/7 activity and disrupting the glycolytic and oxidative phosphorylation pathways. Moreover, lactoferrin-conjugated DAP nanoparticles suppressed the viability of docetaxel-resistant cells exhibiting a higher inhibitory efficacy compared to free DAP and DCA. Targeting PDK1 through lactoferrin-conjugated DAP nanoparticles represents a potent targeted therapeutic strategy for disrupting prostate tumor metabolism and offers promising implications for overcoming drug resistance.

Methemoglobin-Encapsulating Liposome: A Low-Risk Intravascular Contrast Agent for Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Hemoglobin shows different contrasts on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) depending on the iron and oxygenation states of heme. Functional brain MRI utilizes the differences in the concentrations of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin in cerebral blood vessels; blood clots produce strong magnetic susceptibility effects. We hypothesized that methemoglobin (MetHb)-based nanoparticles can act as MRI contrast agents because MetHb levels in red blood cells affect relaxivity and are strictly regulated to <1% in the blood. Herein, we describe the synthesis of methemoglobin-encapsulated liposomes (Met-HbVs) as contrast agents for MRI. Met-HbV, with a size of approximately 200 nm, increased longitudinal relaxivity (r1) by 2.44-fold compared with hemoglobin-encapsulated liposomes in vitro. In contrast, the transverse relaxation capacity (r2) of Met-HbVs was similar to that of the hemoglobin-encapsulated liposomes. Owing to its relaxivity, Met-HbV enhanced the signal intensity on T1-weighted images and angiography, especially in the veins. Furthermore, deleterious biological responses were seldom observed after Met-HbV administration in mice with chronic renal failure. In conclusion, Met-HbV possesses potential as a vascular contrast agent in MRI for angiography, with advantages over gadolinium-based contrast agents in terms of safety for patients with renal failure. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the potential of MetHb as a biomaterial for contrast agents in MRI.

Nanomaterials-driven in situ vaccination: a novel frontier in tumor immunotherapy

In situ vaccination (ISV) has emerged as a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy, offering a targeted approach that uses the tumor microenvironment (TME) to stimulate an immune response directly at the tumor site. This method minimizes systemic exposure while maintaining therapeutic efficacy and enhancing safety. Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled new approaches to ISV by utilizing nanomaterials with unique properties, including enhanced permeability, retention, and controlled drug release. ISV employing nanomaterials can induce immunogenic cell death and reverse the immunosuppressive and hypoxic TME, thereby converting a "cold" tumor into a "hot" tumor and facilitating a more robust immune response. This review examines the mechanisms through which nanomaterials-based ISV enhances anti-tumor immunity, summarizes clinical applications of these strategies, and evaluates its capacity to serve as a neoadjuvant therapy for eliminating micrometastases in early-stage cancer patients. Challenges associated with the clinical translation of nanomaterials-based ISV, including nanomaterial metabolism, optimization of treatment protocols, and integration with other therapies such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and photothermal therapy, are also discussed. Advances in nanotechnology and immunotherapy continue to expand the possible applications of ISV, potentially leading to improved outcomes across a broad range of cancer types.

Nanosized Shikonin Disrupts Tumor-Cell Mismatch Repair and Synergizes with Manganese to Sensitize Squamous Carcinoma to Immunotherapy

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) frequently develops resistance to immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy, resulting from an immune-excluded microenvironment. Immunogenic cell death (ICD) can increase tumor immunogenicity and further augment immune-cell infiltration by releasing immunogenic molecules. Hence, inducing ICD within tumors might be a promising strategy to restore antitumor immunity and sensitize HNSCC to ICB. Herein, we developed shikonin (SHK)-loaded, CGKRK-modified lipid nanoparticles (C-SNPs) and demonstrated that C-SNPs could enrich in tumor cells and induce necroptosis in vitro and in vivo. Transcriptomic profiling revealed that C-SNPs suppressed tumor-cell mismatch repair, which later activated the cGAS-mediated IFN response and further increased the expression of PD-L1. Combining C-SNPs with an anti-PD-1 antibody increased the infiltration of DCs and CD8+ T cells, yet the response was limited. Modifying C-SNPs with Mn2+ (C-SMNPs) enhanced the activation of cGAS-STING signaling and further boosted the maturation of DCs and the differentiation of cytotoxic T cells within ICB-treated tumors. Importantly, compared to C-SNPs, the combination of C-SMNPs with ICB resulted in more sustained tumor suppression in vivo. Together, we developed a versatile nanoparticle that delivered SHK and Mn2+ which sensitized HNSCC to ICB by disrupting tumor-cell mismatch repair and boosting the cGAS-STING-mediated IFN response. This nanosized ICD inducer-based strategy holds therapeutic potential in synergizing with anti-PD-1 immunotherapy to enhance treatment efficacy in HNSCC.

Self-assembled nanoplatform-mediated co-delivery of brusatol to sensitize sorafenib for hepatocellular carcinoma treatment

Sorafenib (Sor), recognized as a frontline multi-kinase inhibitor, constitutes the primary targeted therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Despite its potential, many HCC patients exhibit reduced responsiveness to Sor, thereby undermining its therapeutic efficacy. Recent studies highlight the importance of nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) activation in HCC, which contributes to Sor resistance. Brusatol (Bru), a plant-derived Nrf2 inhibitor, counteracts this resistance but faces challenges due to its poor solubility in aqueous media. In this study, we developed a glutathione (GSH)-responsive nanoplatform that effectively dispersed in water for the co-delivery of Bru and Sor (B/S NP). This approach enhanced Bru's therapeutic efficacy and increased Sor sensitivity in HCC. Our nanoplatform significantly reduced Nrf2 expression, thereby increasing Sor sensitivity both in vitro and in vivo, while presenting a favorable biosafety profile. These findings suggest that the nanoplatform-mediated co-delivery of Bru and Sor offers an innovative approach to enhance Sor's effectiveness in HCC treatment.

Strategies to enhance the penetration of nanomedicine in solid tumors

Nanomedicine was previously regarded as a promising solution in the battle against cancer. Over the past few decades, extensive research has been conducted to exploit nanomedicine for overcoming tumors. Unfortunately, despite these efforts, nanomedicine has not yet demonstrated its ability to cure tumors, and the research on nanomedicine has reached a bottleneck. For a significant period of time, drug delivery strategies have primarily focused on targeting nanomedicine delivery to tumors while neglecting its redistribution within solid tumors. The uneven distribution of nanomedicine within solid tumors results in limited therapeutic effects on most tumor cells and significantly hampers the efficiency of drug delivery and treatment outcomes. Therefore, this review discusses the challenges faced by nanomedicine in penetrating solid tumors and provides an overview of current nanotechnology strategies (alleviating penetration resistance, size regulation, tumor cell transport, and nanomotors) that facilitate enhanced penetration of nanomedicine into solid tumors. Additionally, we discussed the potential role of nanobionics in promoting effective penetration of nanomedicine.

Preparation of Metal-Polyphenol Modified Zeolitic Imidazolate Framework-8 Nanoparticles for Cancer Drug Delivery

With the rising incidence of cancer, chemotherapy has become a widely used treatment approach. However, the use of anticancer drugs such as doxorubicin (DOX) poses significant long-term risks due to its nonspecific distribution and severe side effects. Therefore, developing a nanoparticle-based drug delivery system (DDS) that enhances the bioavailability of DOX specifically to cancer cells is crucial while minimizing its side effects on normal cells. This study employed zeolitic imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) as a DDS to encapsulate DOX using a one-pot method. The surface of this system was subsequently modified with a copper-gallic acid (Cu-GA) complex to form the Cu-GA/DOX@ZIF-8 (CGDZ) system. The CGDZ system effectively encapsulates DOX and demonstrates pH-responsive drug release, facilitating controlled drug release in the acidic environment of cancer cells. Furthermore, the Cu-GA coating enhances the biocompatibility of the material, reduces drug toxicity in normal endothelial cells (BAECs) due to the antioxidant feature of modified GA, and maintains the efficacy and intracellular trafficking of DOX in colon cancer cells (C-26). Interestingly, CGDZ nanoparticles showed significantly higher toxicity against cancer cells as compared to unmodified systems and free DOX. Overall, CGDZ exhibited significant in vitro efficacy in targeting cancer cell lines while reducing the toxicity of DOX, offering a novel and effective nanoparticle system for targeted cancer treatment.

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor Lenvatinib Based Nano Formulations and Cutting-Edge Scale-Up Technologies in revolutionizing Cancer Therapy

Lenvatinib (LEN), a tyrosine kinase inhibitor, has emerged as a promising therapeutic agent for various solid tumors. Nevertheless, a number of constraints, including diminished bioavailability, incapacity to elicit localized inflammation, and inability to selectively accumulate at the tumor site, may impede the comprehensive exploitation of its versatile tyrosine kinase inhibitory capabilities. In order to achieve targeted delivery of LEN while also reducing its high dose used in conventional therapeutics, nanoformulation approaches can be adopted. The integration of LEN into various nanoformulations, such as nanoparticles, nanocrystals, high density lipoproteins (HDLs), liposomes, and micelles, is discussed, highlighting the advantages of these innovative approaches in a comparative manner; however, given that the current methods of nanoformulation synthesis employ toxic organic solvents and chemicals, there is an imperative need for exploring alternative, environmentally friendly approaches. The multifaceted effects of nanocarriers have rendered them profoundly applicable within the biomedical domain, serving as instrumental entities in various capacities such as vehicles for drug delivery and genetic material, diagnostic agents, facilitators of photothermal therapy, and radiotherapy. However, the scalability of these nanotechnological methodologies must be rigorously investigated and addressed to refine drug delivery mechanisms. This endeavor offers promising prospects for revolutionizing strategies in cancer therapeutics, thereby laying the foundation for future research in scale-up techniques in the pursuit of more effective and less toxic therapies for cancer.

Ultrasound-mediated cardiovascular thrombolysis: from Sonothrombolysis to Sonoperfusion

The incidence of coronary artery disease has been increasing in recent years, with acute myocardial infarction as its most severe onset. The major aim for clinical treatment is to restore myocardial blood supply with the recanalization of coronary circulation as early as possible, while the still existed issue of microcirculation thromboembolism has become a serious obstacle. Thus, thrombus elimination in coronary microcirculation is crucial and essential to improve the treatment outcome of acute myocardial infarction. In recent years, from sonothrombolysis to sonoperfusion, ultrasound-mediated cardiovascular thrombolysis can effectively solve the problem of vascular thromboembolism, including microcirculation thromboembolism, and the treatment method is expected to obtain satisfied thrombolytic treatment effect with microthrombus elimination in coronary microvessels and function recovery of terminal microcirculation, which has potential clinical value for the establishment of novel treatment for coronary thromboembolism. Therefore, this paper reviews ultrasound-mediated cardiovascular thrombolysis including sonothrombolysis and sonoperfusion for the application exploration in the treatment of coronary artery thromboembolism, the mechanism of action, and its research progress.

Phase-separating Pt(IV)-graft-glycopeptides sequentially sensing pH and redox for deep tumor penetration and targeting chemotherapy

Active-targeting nanomedicines have been widely employed in cancer treatment for increasing therapeutic index. However, the limited permeability caused by the binding site barrier (BSB) and size hindrances compromises their clinical antitumor efficacy in patients. Herein, learning from the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of bio-macromolecules, we report phase-separating glycopeptides (HEP) from polyhistidine (PHis) grafted hyaluronic acid (HA), which can sense the tumor extracellular pH and concomitantly overcome size and BSB dilemmas for enhanced tumor penetration. HEP aggregates into nanodroplets in solution at neutral pH. Upon reaching the acidic extracellular environment of tumors, the pH-responsive PHis triggers a phase separation, converting the coacervate nanodroplets into monomeric glycopeptides. This enables HEP conjugated with the platinum prodrug (HEPPt) to deeply penetrate into tumors by overcoming the BSB effect arising from the interaction between nanodroplets and cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44), as well as resolving the size challenges. Moreover, HEPPt in monomeric states exhibits promoted cellular uptake after pH-triggered phase separation, attributed to the transmembrane effect of exposed PHis. Subsequently, the rapid release of Pt(II), triggered by tumor intracellular reducing environment, exerts excellent antitumor activity. The phase-separating glycopeptides represent a promising platform for improving tumor penetration and intracellular delivery of therapeutic agents.

Magnetic Microbubbles Combined with ICG-Loaded Liposomes for Synergistic Mild-Photothermal and Ferroptosis-Enhanced Photodynamic Therapy of Melanoma

Background

Melanoma poses a significant threat to human health due to the lack of effective treatment options. Previous studies have demonstrated that the combination of photothermal therapy (PTT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT) can enhance therapeutic efficacy. However, conventional PTT/PDT combination strategies face various challenges, including complex preparation processes, potential damage to healthy tissues, and insufficient generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This study aims to design a rational and efficient PTT/PDT therapeutic strategy for melanoma and to explore its underlying mechanisms.

Methods

We first synthesized two target materials, indocyanine green-targeted liposomes (ICG-Lips) and magnetic microbubbles (MMBs), using the thin-film hydration method, followed by characterization and performance evaluation of both materials. Subsequently, we evaluated the synergistic therapeutic effects and underlying mechanisms of ICG-Lips combined with MMBs in melanoma treatment through in vitro experiments using cellular models and in vivo experiments using animal models.

Results

Herein, we developed a multifunctional system comprising ICG-Lips and MMBs. ICG-Lips enhance targeted delivery through specific binding to the S100B protein on melanoma cells, while MMBs, via ultrasound (US)-induced cavitation effects, shorten the uptake time of ICG-Lips by melanoma cells and improve uptake efficiency. Furthermore, the combination of ICG-Lips and MMBs induces significant reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. Under 808 nm laser irradiation, the accumulation of ICG-Lips in melanoma cells achieves mild photothermal therapy (mPTT) and PDT effects. The elevated temperature and excessive ROS generated during these processes result in glutathione (GSH) depletion, ultimately triggering ferroptosis. The occurrence of ferroptosis further amplifies PDT efficacy, creating a synergistic effect that effectively suppresses melanoma growth. Additionally, the combined therapeutic strategy of ICG-Lips and MMBs demonstrates excellent biosafety.

Conclusion

In summary, this study presents a novel and straightforward strategy that integrates mPTT, PDT, and ferroptosis synergistically to combat melanoma, thereby laying a solid foundation for improving melanoma treatment outcomes.

Ce6-GFFY is a novel photosensitizer for colorectal cancer therapy

Photodynamic therapy is an "old" strategy for cancer therapy featuring clinical safety and rapid working, but suitable photosensitizers for colorectal cancer therapy remain lacking. This study synthesized a novel photosensitizer termed Ce6-GFFY based on a self-assembling peptide GFFY and a photo-responsive molecule chlorin e6 (Ce6). Ce6-GFFY forms macroparticles with a diameter of ∼160 nm and possesses a half-life of 10 h, as well as an ideal tumor-targeting ability in mouse models. Ce6-GFFY effectively penetrates cells and generates numerous reactive oxygen species upon 660 nm laser irradiation. The reactive oxygen species promotes the accumulation of cytotoxic T cells and decrease of myeloid-derived suppressor cells in the tumor microenvironment through immunogenic cell death, thus prohibiting the growth of both primary and metastatic tumors after once treatment. This study not only provides a strategy for photosensitizer development but also confirms a promising application of Ce6-GFFY for colorectal cancer therapy.

Enhanced transcytosis and therapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel nanoparticles: Pyridylboronic acid modification and sialic acid targeting

Efficient drug delivery and deeper penetration into tumors have become a primary focus of anti-tumor nanomedicine. In this study, pyridylboronic acid (BPA), as a targeting ligand for sialic acid, which is highly expressed on the surface of tumor cells, was conjugated with DSPE-PEG2k-NH2 to synthesize DSPE-PEG2k-BPA and used to encapsulate PTX. The resultant PTX@DSPE-PEG2k-BPA nanoparticles (DPB NPs) showed a mean particle size of 189.0 ± 3.5 nm, with a high drug loading content of 48.75 % and a rod-like morphology. In contrast to PTX@DSPE-mPEG2k nanoparticles (DP NPs), DPB NPs displayed enhanced cellular uptake and targetability to 4T1 tumor cells. Interestingly, BPA modification could also enhance transcytosis through the endoplasmic reticulum-Golgi pathway, thus improving penetration and accumulation of nanoparticles in tumors. An in vivo study on 4T1 tumor-bearing mice demonstrated that DPB NPs achieved a faster and more accumulation in tumors than DP NPs after intravenous administration, led to significantly improved therapeutic efficacy with a higher tumor inhibition rate (74.27 % vs 50.58 %, p < 0.01). In conclusion, the modification of BPA presents a strategy for the development of drug delivery systems that exhibit dual functionalities: active targeting and transcytosis.

Recent Advances in Nanoenzymes Based Therapies for Glioblastoma: Overcoming Barriers and Enhancing Targeted Treatment

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is a highly aggressive and malignant brain tumor originating from glial cells, characterized by high recurrence rates and poor patient prognosis. The heterogeneity and complex biology of GBM, coupled with the protective nature of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), significantly limit the efficacy of traditional therapies. The rapid development of nanoenzyme technology presents a promising therapeutic paradigm for the rational and targeted treatment of GBM. In this review, the underlying mechanisms of GBM pathogenesis are comprehensively discussed, emphasizing the impact of the BBB on treatment strategies. Recent advances in nanoenzyme-based approaches for GBM therapy are explored, highlighting how these nanoenzymes enhance various treatment modalities through their multifunctional capabilities and potential for precise drug delivery. Finally, the challenges and therapeutic prospects of translating nanoenzymes from laboratory research to clinical application, including issues of stability, targeting efficiency, safety, and regulatory hurdles are critically analyzed. By providing a thorough understanding of both the opportunities and obstacles associated with nanoenzyme-based therapies, future research directions are aimed to be informed and contribute to the development of more effective treatments for GBM.

A promising mesoporous silica carrier material for the diagnosis and treatment of liver diseases: recent research advances

The therapeutic diagnosis of liver diseases has garnered significant interest within the medical community. In recent years, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) have emerged as crucial nanocarriers for the treatment of liver ailments. Their remarkable diagnostic capabilities enable them to be used in techniques such as high-throughput mass spectrometry (MS), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging, photoacoustic imaging (PAI), and ultrasonography (US), attracting considerable attention. Furthermore, the introduction of amino and carboxyl group modifications in MSNs has facilitated their use as drug delivery carriers for treating liver diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma. This paper reviews the preparation methods, in vitro diagnostic capabilities, and in vivo therapeutic delivery systems of MSNs for liver disease treatment. It also summarizes relevant toxicity studies, aiming to provide a comprehensive overview of the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of MSNs in the treatment of liver diseases, particularly hepatocellular carcinoma. Through this review, we seek to offer theoretical insights into the potential of MSNs for diagnostic and therapeutic applications in liver disease treatment.

Nano-Based Strategies Aiming at Tumor Microenvironment for Improved Cancer Therapy

Malignant tumors pose a considerable threat to human life and health. Traditional treatments, such as radiotherapy and chemotherapy, often lack specificity, leading to collateral damage to normal tissues. Tumor microenvironment (TME) is characterized by hypoxia, acidity, redox imbalances, and elevated ATP levels factors that collectively promote tumor growth and metastasis. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the nanoparticles developed in recent years for TME-responsive strategies or TME-modulating methods for tumor therapy. The TME-responsive strategies focus on designing and synthesizing nanoparticles that can interact with the tumor microenvironment to achieve precisely controlled drug release. These nanoparticles activate drug release under specific conditions within the tumor environment, thereby enhancing the efficacy of the drugs while reducing toxicity to normal cells. Moreover, simply eliminating tumor cells does not fundamentally solve the problem. Only by comprehensively regulating the TME to make it unsuitable for tumor cell survival and proliferation can we achieve more thorough therapeutic effects and reduce the risk of tumor recurrence. TME regulation strategies aim to suppress the growth and metastasis of tumor cells by modulating various components within the TME. These strategies not only improve treatment outcomes but also have the potential to lay the foundation for future personalized cancer therapies.

Bimagnetic Core/Shell Nanoprobes with Tunable Exchange Coupling for High Resolution and Sensitive Magnetic Particle Imaging

Magnetic particle imaging (MPI) has demonstrated versatile applications in biomedicine, including tumor imaging, cell tracking, and image-guided hyperthermia. Despite these advancements, the prevalent use of clinically approved tracers has posed limitations on MPI's resolution and sensitivity. In this study, we engineered a bimagnetic core/shell nanocrystals (BMCS) tailored for MPI by optimizing the heterostructure and modulating the exchange coupling effect between the two magnetic components. The resulting BMCS exhibited remarkably heightened susceptibility and magnetization while maintaining low coercivity, thereby substantially improved both MPI resolution and sensitivity compared to conventional tracers such as VivoTrax. At an equivalent mass concentration, BMCS demonstrated a notable 5.08-fold increase in signal intensity and achieved an unprecedentedly high resolution down to 1 mm. The excellent MPI performance contributes to high resolution MPI and the sensitive detection of orthotopic colorectal cancer in mice. The design strategy employed in BMCS, centered on the exchange coupling effect, introduces an efficacious approach for the development of high performance MPI tracers.

A quality-by-design approach to develop abemaciclib solid lipid nanoparticles for targeting breast cancer cell lines

AIM

Abemaciclib (ABE) is an anticancer drug that suffers from low bioavailability and multidrug resistance. This study aims to develop ABE-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (ABE-SLNs), which will enhance drug solubility and lead to increased cellular uptake and enhanced cytotoxicity when delivering tumor cells.

METHODS

Melt emulsification followed by ultrasonication was used as a method of preparation and Quality-by-Design (QbD) was utilized to optimize ABE-SLNs.

RESULTS

The optimized ABE-SLNs consist of Precirol-ATO5 as a lipid and Brij-58 as a surfactant. The particle size, PDI value, and zeta potential of the optimized formulation were 170.4 ± 0.49 nm, 0.25 ± 0.014, and -26.4 ± 0.1 mV, respectively. It also showed sustained release behavior and a high entrapment efficiency of 79.96%. ABE-SLNs exhibited enhanced anticancer activity in the MDA-MB-231 and T47D breast cancer cell lines compared to pure ABE. In Caco-2 human colonic cell lines, ABE-SLNs also showed increased cellular uptake.

CONCLUSION

The use of QbD to achieve high entrapment efficiency and sustained release in ABE-SLNs, coupled with enhanced cellular uptake and cytotoxicity, represents a novel approach that could set a new standard for nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems.

Innovative landscapes in intraperitoneal therapy of ovarian cancer

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most prevalent gynecological malignancy, characterized by high mortality rates due to its late-stage diagnosis and frequent recurrence. The current standard of care for ovarian cancer is a combination of debulking surgery followed by the conventional mode of chemotherapy. Despite significant advances in therapeutic modalities, the overall survival rate of EOC continues to be poor, mainly because low concentrations of the chemotherapeutics reach the peritoneum, which is the primary site of ovarian cancer, leading to disease relapse. Here, intraperitoneal chemotherapy gains advantage due to its ability to deliver the drug molecules directly to the peritoneal cavity and provide localized and sustained effects. This is facilitated by the use of diverse kinds of nano or micron sized delivery systems, which help in transporting drugs, vaccines, antibodies and genes appropriately to the peritoneum for its desired function. This review article delves on how intraperitoneal delivery impacts the therapy of epithelial ovarian cancer spanning the conventional therapeutic modes to the recent nanoinnovations in chemotherapy, immunotherapy and gene therapy.

Ginger-Derived Exosome-Like Nanoparticles Loaded With Indocyanine Green Enhances Phototherapy Efficacy for Breast Cancer

PURPOSE

Phototherapy has remarkable advantages in cancer treatment, owing to its high efficiency and minimal invasiveness. Indocyanine green (ICG) plays an important role in photo-mediated therapy. However, it has several disadvantages such as poor stability in aqueous solutions, easy aggregation of molecules, and short plasma half-life. This study aimed to develop an efficient nanoplatform to enhance the effects of photo-mediated therapy.

METHODS

We developed a novel bio-nanoplatform by integrating edible ginger-derived exosome-like nanoparticles (GDNPs) and the photosensitizer, ICG (GDNPs@ICG). GDNPs were isolated from ginger juice and loaded with ICG by co-incubation. The size distribution, zeta potential, morphology, total lipid content, and drug release behavior of the GDNPs@ICG were characterized. The photothermal performance, cellular uptake and distribution, cytotoxicity, anti-tumor effects, and mechanism of action of GDNPs@ICG were investigated both in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

GDNPs@ICG were taken up by tumor cells via a lipid-dependent pathway. When irradiated by an 808 nm NIR laser, GDNPs@ICG generated high levels of ROS, MDA, and local hyperthermia within the tumor, which caused lipid peroxidation and ER stress, thus enhancing the photo-mediated breast tumor therapy effect. Furthermore, in vivo studies demonstrated that engineered GDNPs@ICG significantly inhibited breast tumor growth and presented limited toxicity. Moreover, by detecting the expression of CD31, N-cadherin, IL-6, IFN-γ, CD8, p16, p21, and p53 in tumor tissues, we found that GDNPs@ICG substantially reduced angiogenesis, inhibited metastasis, activated the anti-tumor immune response, and promoted cell senescence in breast tumor.

CONCLUSION

Our study demonstrated that the novel bio-nanoplatform GDNPs@ICG enhanced the photo-mediated therapeutic effect in breast tumor. GDNPs@ICG could be an alternative for precise and efficient anti-tumor phototherapy.

Acid-triggered size reduction of nanomedicines for enhancing tumor therapy efficacy

Nanomedicines whose size can be varied on demand may synchronously achieve excellent tumor accumulation and penetration. In this study, by taking advantage of the pH sensitivity of a boronate ester, we synthesized acid-triggered size-reducing polymer nanoparticles (named PCD) by cross-linking β-cyclodextrin-cored multiarm polymers through the boronate ester. In PCD, the antitumor agent doxorubicin was loaded via the pH-sensitive hydrazone linkage. The in vitro and in vivo properties of PCD were investigated using a non-responsive nanoparticle (named UCD) as a reference. In the neutral condition of the bloodstream, PCD was stable and exhibited a suitable size for long circulation time. Upon entering tumors, PCD decomposed into stable and smaller multiarm polymers, which could deeply penetrate tumors. The high tumor accumulation and penetration of PCD offered significantly better anti-tumor efficacy than UCD.

A tumor-targeting porphyrin-micelle with enhanced STING agonist delivery and synergistic photo-/immuno- therapy for cancer treatment

The activation of STING pathway has emerged as a promising strategy in cancer immunotherapy. However, challenges associated with unfavorable physicochemical properties and potential off-target toxicities have limited the application of STING agonists. Here, we develop an amphiphilic and cationic charged porphyrin-polymer to electrostatically load the STING agonist (MSA-2) within a micellar structure, thereby enhancing carrier compatibility and drug-loading content of MSA-2. Additionally, tumor-targeting ligands were functionalized onto the micelle to enhance specificity for tumor cells, aiming to significantly improve tumor accumulation while minimizing undesirable toxicity. The resultant tumor-targeting porphyrin micelle (TPC@M) seamlessly integrates three therapeutic mechanisms: i) tumor ablation via phototherapy; ii) robust activation of the STING pathway by MSA-2; iii) synergistic photo-/immuno- stimulations. TPC@M efficiently ablates primary tumors through phototherapy and further activates adaptive immune responses synergistically with MSA-2-induced innate immunity to suppress metastasis and prevent recurrence. Overall, we transformed a delivery-compromised therapeutic into a precise, stable, and safe nanomedicine that unleashes synergistic immunotherapeutic effects. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This study addresses the urgent need for an efficient delivery system to fully harness the potential of the STING agonist MSA-2 in cancer immunotherapy. The cGAS-STING pathway plays a critical role in modulating anti-tumor immunity; however, the clinical application of MSA-2 has been hindered by its poor physicochemical properties and off-target effects. Our innovative approach introduces a tumor-targeting porphyrin-based polymeric micelle (TPC@M) that efficiently encapsulates MSA-2, overcoming compatibility issues associated with traditional nanocarriers. The TPC@M not only exhibits enhanced tumor targeting and reduced toxicity but also integrates phototherapy with immunotherapy, providing a synergistic strategy for cancer treatment. Our in vivo findings using 4T1 breast cancer mouse models demonstrate significant inhibition of tumor growth and prevention of metastasis, accompanied by a robust and long-lasting immune response.

Advances in Radionuclide-Labeled Biological Carriers for Tumor Imaging and Treatment

Biological carriers have emerged as significant tools to deliver radionuclides in nuclear medicine, providing a meaningful perspective for tumor imaging and treatment. Various radionuclide-labeled biological carriers have been developed to meet the needs of biomedical applications. This review introduces the principles of radionuclide-mediated imaging and therapy and the selected criteria of them, as well as a comprehensive description of the characteristics and functions of representative biological carriers including bacteria, cells, viruses, and their biological derivatives, emphasizing the labeled strategies of biological carriers combined with radionuclides. Subsequently, we in-depth introduce the application of radionuclide-labeled biological carriers in tumor imaging and treatment, including the imaging of the behaviors of biological carriers in vivo and tumor metastasis and the tumor treatment by radionuclide therapy, plus other strategies and radiation-induced photodynamic therapy. Finally, the challenges and prospects of radionuclide-labeled biological carriers are discussed to improve the shortcomings of this innovative platform and promote clinical transformation in the field of medical imaging.

Continuous Production of Docetaxel-Loaded Nanostructured Lipid Carriers Using a Coaxial Turbulent Jet Mixer with Heating System

The continuous synthesis of nanoparticles (NPs) has been actively studied due to its great potential to produce NPs with reproducible and controllable physicochemical properties. Here, we achieved the high throughput production of nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) using a coaxial turbulent jet mixer with an added heating system. This device, designed for the crossflow of precursor solution and non-solvent, combined with the heating system, efficiently dissolves solid lipids and surfactants. We reported the flow regime according to the Reynolds number (Re). Also, we confirmed the size controllability of NLCs as dependent on both Re and lipid concentration. The optimized synthesis yields NLCs around 80 nm, ideal for targeted drug delivery by enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. The coaxial turbulent jet mixer enables effective mixing, producing uniform size distribution of NLCs. The NLCs prepared using the coaxial turbulent jet mixer were smaller, more uniform, and had higher drug loading compared to the NLCs synthesized by a bulk nanoprecipitation method, showcasing its potential for advancing nanomedicine.

Innovative integration of nanomedicines and phototherapy to modulate autophagy for enhanced tumor eradication

Nanomedicines, by significantly enhancing the solubility, stability, and targeted delivery of therapeutic agents, have emerged as transformative tools in light-induced therapies, particularly in the context of oncology. These advancements are attributed to their ability to mediate autophagy through light activation, thereby revolutionizing cancer treatment paradigms. This review provides a comprehensive analysis of the state-of-the-art integration of nanomedicines with phototherapy techniques, emphasizing their role in modulating autophagy within cancer cells. It delineates the potential of light-responsive nanomaterials to induce selective tumor cell death by precisely regulating over-activated autophagy pathways. Additionally, it discusses innovative strategies for combining nanomedicines with phototherapy and other clinical modalities for tumor treatment, as well as integrating autophagy with various forms of programmed cell death to address challenges related to drug resistance and therapeutic efficacy. By synthesizing recent advancements and delineating future research directions, this review offers a thorough perspective on the optimization of light-induced autophagy through nanomedicines, highlighting novel strategies for enhancing cancer treatment efficacy.

Photosynthetic Bacteria: Light-Responsive Biomaterials for Anti-Tumor Photodynamic Therapy

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising noninvasive tumor treatment modality that relies on generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) and requires an adequate oxygen supply to the target tissue. However, hypoxia is a common feature of solid tumors and profoundly restricts the anti-tumor efficacy of PDT. In recent years, scholars have focused on exploring nanomaterial-based strategies for oxygen supplementation and integrating non-oxygen-consuming treatment approaches to overcome the hypoxic limitations of PDT. Some scholars have harnessed the photosynthetic oxygen production of cyanobacteria under light irradiation to overcome tumor hypoxia and engineered them as carriers of photosensitizers instead of inorganic nanomaterials, resulting in photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) attracting significant attention. Recent studies have shown that light-triggered PSB can exhibit additional properties, such as photosynthetic hydrogen production, ROS generation, and photothermal conversion, facilitating their use as promising light-responsive biomaterials for enhancing the anti-tumor efficacy of PDT. Therefore, understanding PSB can provide new insights and ideas for future research. This review mainly introduces the characteristics of PSB and recent research on light-triggered PSB in anti-tumor PDT to enrich our knowledge in this area. Finally, the challenges and prospects of using PSB to enhance the anti-tumor efficacy of PDT were also discussed.

Multi-Enzyme Mimetic MoCu Dual-Atom Nanozyme Triggering Oxidative Stress Cascade Amplification for High-Efficiency Synergistic Cancer Therapy

Single-atom nanozymes (SAzymes) with ultrahigh atom utilization efficiency have been extensively applied in reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated cancer therapy. However, the high energy barriers of reaction intermediates on single-atom sites and the overexpressed antioxidants in the tumor microenvironment restrict the amplification of tumor oxidative stress, resulting in unsatisfactory therapeutic efficacy. Herein, we report a multi-enzyme mimetic MoCu dual-atom nanozyme (MoCu DAzyme) with various catalytic active sites, which exhibits peroxidase, oxidase, glutathione (GSH) oxidase, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase mimicking activities. Compared with Mo SAzyme, the introduction of Cu atoms, formation of dual-atom sites, and synergetic catalytic effects among various active sites enhance substrate adsorption and reduce the energy barrier, thereby endowing MoCu DAzyme with stronger catalytic activities. Benefiting from the above enzyme-like activities, MoCu DAzyme can not only generate multiple ROS, but also deplete GSH and block its regeneration to trigger the cascade amplification of oxidative stress. Additionally, the strong optical absorption in the near-infrared II bio-window endows MoCu DAzyme with remarkable photothermal conversion performance. Consequently, MoCu DAzyme achieves high-efficiency synergistic cancer treatment incorporating collaborative catalytic therapy and photothermal therapy. This work will advance the therapeutic applications of DAzymes and provide valuable insights for nanocatalytic cancer therapy.

Hypericin-loaded in modified theranostic liposome nanoplatform: a preliminary in vivo study of targeting and diagnosis

Modified theranostic liposomes were created by combining phospholipid 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-3-glycerol-phosphatidylcholine with two previously modified Pluronic® copolymers covalently linked with spermine and folic acid to carry and stabilize the photosensitizer compound hypericin. After physicochemical characterization, the photocytotoxicity was evaluated against different cancer and healthy cells presenting a strong photodynamic effect. The formulation exhibited no photoactivity without illumination and without hypericin. In vivo, pharmacokinetics biodistribution examined the uptake and theranostic potential of this nanoformulation after its intravenous administration in animal models. Fluorescence images revealed the maximum fluorescence between 0.5-4 h post-tail vein injection, making it an appropriate period for photodynamic treatment. The fluorescence of the entire body was monitored for at least 3 days, indicating that the theranostic procedures can be performed within the 0.5-4 h range after administration, after which the intensity decreases, indicating a potent metabolic ability with no significant side effects. The fluorescence images of the main organs consistently showed a signal during the 1st day of its application. After 48 h, only residues of the modified theranostic formulation were detected in the lungs and thyroid. The promising pharmacokinetics observed in our preliminary studies highlight the potential of this system, making it a worthy candidate for further investigation with tumor models.

Self-Assembly Nanomedicine Initiating Cancer-Immunity Cycle with Cascade Reactions for Boosted Immunotherapy

Immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) therapy has been extensively integrated into cancer clinical management. However, its overall response rate is limited due to the stagnating cancer-immunity cycle (CIC) caused by the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME). Here, a multi-pronged nanomedicine, defined as LCCS, was constructed by the self-assembly of lactate oxidase, catalase, chlorin e6, and sorafenib. Through cascade reactions, LCCS effectively reprogrammed the TME and re-initiated the CIC by depleting lactate, alleviating hypoxia, inducing immunogenic cell death, and normalizing tumor vessels. Immunological analyses indicated that treatment with LCCS decreased the infiltration of immunosuppressive cells while increasing the recruitment of immune effector cells in tumors. Leveraging the effective operation of the CIC, LCCS improved the efficacy of ICB therapy to inhibit breast cancer, and effectively induced the elimination of colorectal cancer and long-term immune memory. Therefore, multifunctional nanomedicines targeting CIC hold great potential for applications in cancer immunotherapy.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Radiogenomic Analysis Reveals Genomic Determinants for Nanoparticle Delivery into Tumors

Even though the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect is applicable for the passive targeting of solid tumors, many nanodrugs have failed to achieve meaningful clinical outcomes due to the heterogeneity of EPR effect. Therefore, understanding the mechanism of the EPR effect is crucial to overcome the obstacles nanomedicines face in clinical translation. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable method to increase awareness of the critical influencing factors of nanoparticle (NP) transport into tumors based on the EPR effect using a combined radiogenomics and clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique and gene set pathway enrichment analysis. Employing poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-coated Fe3O4 NPs as the contrast agent, the monolayer and multilayer distribution of the NPs were observed and quantitatively analyzed by MRI, improving the accuracy of evaluating vascular permeability by MRI. By performing Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses of genes and pathways, we identified a variety of genes affecting vascular permeability, such as Cldn1, Dlg2, Bves, Prkag3, Cldn10, and Cldn8, which are related to tight junctions and control the permeability of blood vessels in tumors. The method presented here provides an MRI-supported approach to increase the breadth of data collected from genetic screens, reveals genetic evidence of the presence of NPs in tumors and lays a foundation for clinical patient stratification and personalized treatment.

Cuproptosis-based layer-by-layer silk fibroin nanoplatform-loaded PD-L1 siRNA combining photothermal and chemodynamic therapy against metastatic breast cancer

Cuproptosis is a newly identified form of copper-dependent cell death that differs from other known pathways. This discovery provides a new way to explore copper-based nanomaterial applications in cancer therapy. This study used a layer-by-layer self-assembling method to load Cu2-xS nanoparticle (NP) cores with the siRNA of the PD-L1 immune escape-related gene and wrap a silk fibroin (SF) shell to form a multifunctional copper-based SF nanoplatform, denoted as CuS-PEI-siRNA-SFNs. CuS-PEI-siRNA-SFNs induced cuproptosis and exerted an antitumor effect via multiple mechanisms, including photothermal therapy (PTT), chemodynamic therapy (CDT), and immune activation. The presence of significant dihydrolipoamide S-acetyltransferase (DLAT) oligomers in 4T1 cells treated with CuS-PEI-siRNA-SFNs indicated the triggering of cuproptosis. Furthermore, in vivo experimental results showed that CuS-PEI-siRNA-SFNs efficiently accumulated in the tumor tissues of 4T1 tumor-bearing mice inhibited primary tumor and lung metastasis, and displayed excellent biosafety and antitumor activity. This study demonstrated that the synergistic effect of cuproptosis, PTT, CDT, and immune activation showed promise for treating metastatic breast cancer.

Treating acute lung injury through scavenging of cell-free DNA by cationic nanoparticles

Acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome are life-threatening conditions induced by inflammatory responses, in which cell-free DNA (cfDNA) plays a pivotal role. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of biodegradable cationic nanoparticles (cNPs) in alleviating ALI. Using a mouse model of lipopolysaccharide-induced ALI, we examined the impact of intravenously administered cNPs. Our findings indicate that cNPs possess robust DNA binding capability, enhanced accumulation in inflamed lungs, and a favorable safety profile in vivo. Furthermore, cNPs attenuate the inflammatory response in LPS-induced ALI mice by scavenging cfDNA, mainly derived from neutrophil extracellular traps, and activating the macrophage-mediated cGAS-STING pathway. The findings suggest a potential treatment for ALI by targeting cfDNA with cNPs. This approach has demonstrated efficacy in mitigating lung injury and merits further exploration.

ct-DNA compaction by nanoparticles formed by silica and gemini surfactants having hydroxyl group substituted spacers: In vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo gene uptake to cancer cells

Hybrid nanoparticles formed by Silica (SiO2) coated with cationic gemini surfactants with variable hydroxyl group substituted spacers, 12-4(OH)-12,2Br- and 12-4(OH)2-12,2Br- have shown a great extent of compaction of calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) compared to conventional counterpart cationic surfactant, dodecyl trimethylammonium bromide (DTAB). Study shows not only the hydrophobicity of the spacer but also the hydrogen bonding interactions between the hydroxyl group substituted spacer and DNA have a great role in DNA compaction. 12-4(OH)2-12,2Br- is more efficient in compacting ct-DNA compared to 12-4(OH)-12,2Br- due to the stronger binding of the former with ct-DNA than the latter. While 12-4(OH)-12,2Br- makes 50 % ct-DNA compaction at its 0.63 μM concentration in the presence of SiO2 nanoparticles, the same % of compaction can be achieved at a concentration as low as 0.25 μM of 12-4(OH)2-12,2Br-. However, DTAB makes 50 % ct-DNA compaction at a concentration as high as 7.00 μM under the same condition. Therefore, the present systems address the very common challenge, i.e., cytotoxicity due to cationic surfactants. The system of 12-4(OH)2-12,2Br- coated SiO2 nanoparticles displays the maximum cell viability (≥90 %), causing the least cell death in the mouse fibroblast cells (NIH3T3) cell lines compared to the cell viability of ≤80 % for DTAB. 12-4(OH)2-12,2Br- coated SiO2 nanoparticles system has presented excellent in vitro cellular uptake of genes on mouse mammary gland adenocarcinoma (4T1) cells after incubating for 3 h and 6 h. In vivo study shows that 12-4(OH)2-12,2Br- coated SiO2 nanoparticles system takes the highest amount of ct-DNA in cells and tumors in a time-dependent manner. The ex vivo studies using different organs of the mice demonstrate that the tumor sites in the breast of the mice are most affected by these formulations. Cytotoxicity assays and cellular uptake studies suggest that the present systems can be used for potential applications for gene delivery and oncological therapies.

Carboxylesterase-activatable multi-in-one nanoplatform for near-infrared fluorescence imaging guided chemo/photodynamic/sonodynamic therapy toward cervical cancer

Traditional tumor treatment faces great challenge owning to inherent drawbacks. Activatable prodrugs with multi-modality therapeutic capacity are highly desired. In this consideration, a responsiveness-released multi-in-one nanoplatform, PLGA-PEG@HC, toward cervical cancer therapy was innovatively developed. Among the nanoplatform, HC was constructed by incorporating chlorambucil, a classic chemotherapy drug into a near-infrared photo- and sono-sensitizer, HCH via ester linker, which can be specifically hydrolyzed by carboxylesterase (CES). HC is scarcely fluorescent and toxic due to the caging of HCH and chlorambucil, thus achieving low background signal and minimal side effects. However, once selectively hydrolyzed by tumor enriched CES, ester bond will be broken. Consequently, HCH and chlorambucil are released so as to achieve near-infrared fluorescence imaging and synergistic photodynamic/sonodynamic/chemo therapy. PLGA-PEG packaging ensures the biocompatibility of HC. The as-obtained nanoplatform, with diameter of 97 nm, achieves tumor targeting capacity via EPR. In vitro and in vivo applications have demonstrated that PLGA-PEG@HC can accumulate in tumor tissues, exhibit CES-activatable near-infrared fluorescence imaging and efficient tumor suppression capacity. Compared with the reported combinational therapy materials which are complex in compositions, PLGA-PEG@HC is simple in formulation but demonstrates near-infrared fluorescence traced and considerable therapy efficacy toward tumors, which may accelerate the clinical translation.

Preparation of Disulfide/Trisulfide Core-Cross-Linked Polycarbonate Nanocarriers for Intracellular Reduction-Triggered Drug Release

Polymeric nanocarriers have attracted significant attention in the field of anticancer drug delivery due to their unique advantages. However, designing nanocarriers that can maintain stability in the bloodstream while achieving specific drug release within tumor cells remains a major challenge. To address this issue, constructing reversible cross-linked polymeric nanocarriers that are sensitive to the intracellular reducible glutathione (GSH) characteristic of the tumor microenvironment is a promising strategy. Based on this, we designed and synthesized two novel six-membered bicyclic carbonate monomers containing disulfide (DSBC) and trisulfide (TSBC) bonds. Through a one-step ring-opening polymerization, a series of reduction-sensitive polycarbonate copolymers (i.e., PEG-PDSBC and PEG-PTSBC) were prepared, and doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded nanoparticles were fabricated using a nanoprecipitation method. The in vitro drug release behaviors of these nanoparticles were systematically investigated. The results showed that these polymers, due to the cross-linked structure formed by the ring-opening polymerization of their bicyclic monomers, could self-assemble into stable nanoparticles. Under different concentrations of glutathione, DOX-loaded PEG-PTSBC nanoparticles demonstrated faster drug release, indicating more optimized intracellular drug release properties. Further cytotoxicity experiments revealed that both types of blank nanoparticles exhibited good biocompatibility with the 4T1 and NIH-3T3 cells. Fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry results further indicated that DOX-loaded PEG-PTSBC nanoparticles released more drugs in 4T1 cells, significantly inhibiting tumor cell growth compared with DOX-loaded PEG-PDSBC nanoparticles, with no noticeable difference in NIH-3T3 normal cells. In conclusion, this study suggests that trisulfide cross-linked polycarbonate-based nanocarriers hold promise as an anticancer drug delivery system that combines stability in the bloodstream with specific intracellular drug release, offering new insights for the development of novel, efficient, and safe anticancer nanomedicines.

An alternative way to break the matrix barrier: an experimental study of a LIFU-mediated, visualizable targeted nanoparticle synergistic amplification for the treatment of malignant fibroblasts

Malignant fibroblasts (MFs) are widely present in various diseases and are characterized by connective tissue proliferation; these cells act as a physical barrier that severely limits drug delivery and affects disease outcomes. Based on this, we constructed the smart, integrated, theranostic, targeted lipid nanoprobe HMME-RG3@PFH to overcome the bottleneck in the early diagnosis and treatment of MF-related diseases. The protein glucose transporter protein 1 (GLUT-1) is overexpressed on MFs, and its ideal substrate, ginsenoside RG3 (RG3), significantly enhances the targeted uptake of HMME-RG3@PFH by MFs in a hypoxic environment and endows the nanomaterial with stealthiness to prolong its circulation. Perfluorohexane (PFH), a substance that can undergo phase change, was encapsulated in the lipid core and vaporized for ultrasound-enhanced imaging under low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) irradiation. Moreover, hematoporphyrin monomethyl ether (HMME) was loaded into the lipid bilayer for photoacoustic molecular imaging and sonodynamic therapy (SDT) of MFs under the combined effects of LIFU. Additionally, HMME-RG3@PFH instantaneously burst during visualization to promote targeted drug delivery. In addition, the increased number of exposed RG3 fragments can regulate the MFs to enter a quiescent state. Overall, this nanoplatform ultimately achieves dual-modal imaging with targeted and precise drug release for visualization and synergistic amplification therapy, providing a new possibility for the early diagnosis and precise treatment of MF-related diseases.

Targeted immunotherapy and nanomedicine for rhabdomyosarcoma: The way of the future

Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is the most common soft tissue sarcoma of childhood. Histology separates two main subtypes: embryonal RMS (eRMS; 60%-70%) and alveolar RMS (aRMS; 20%-30%). The aggressive aRMS carry one of two characteristic chromosomal translocations that result in the expression of a PAX3::FOXO1 or PAX7::FOXO1 fusion transcription factor; therefore, aRMS are now classified as fusion-positive (FP) RMS. Embryonal RMS have a better prognosis and are clinically indistinguishable from fusion-negative (FN) RMS. Next to histology and molecular characteristics, RMS risk groupings are now available defining low risk tumors with excellent outcomes and advanced stage disease with poor prognosis, with an overall survival of about only 20% despite intensified multimodal treatment. Therefore, development of novel effective targeted strategies to increase survival and to decrease long-term side effects is urgently needed. Recently, immunotherapies and nanomedicine have been emerging for potent and effective tumor treatments with minimal side effects, raising hopes for effective and safe cures for RMS patients. This review aims to describe the most relevant preclinical and clinical studies in immunotherapy and targeted nanomedicine performed so far in RMS and to provide an insight in future developments.

Targeted Cancer Therapy-on-A-Chip

Targeted cancer therapy (TCT) is gaining increased interest because it reduces the risks of adverse side effects by specifically treating tumor cells. TCT testing has traditionally been performed using two-dimensional (2D) cell culture and animal studies. Organ-on-a-chip (OoC) platforms have been developed to recapitulate cancer in vitro, as cancer-on-a-chip (CoC), and used for chemotherapeutics development and testing. This review explores the use of CoCs to both develop and test TCTs, with a focus on three main aspects, the use of CoCs to identify target biomarkers for TCT development, the use of CoCs to test free, un-encapsulated TCTs, and the use of CoCs to test encapsulated TCTs. Despite current challenges such as system scaling, and testing externally triggered TCTs, TCToC shows a promising future to serve as a supportive, pre-clinical platform to expedite TCT development and bench-to-bedside translation.

Nanoparticle-assisted Targeting Delivery Technologies for Preventing Organ Rejection

Although organ transplantation is a life-saving medical procedure, the challenge of posttransplant rejection necessitates safe and effective immune modulation strategies. Nanodelivery approaches may have the potential to overcome the limitations of small-molecule immunosuppressive drugs, achieving efficacious treatment options for transplant tolerance without compromising overall host immunity. This review highlights recent advances in biomaterial-assisted formulations and technologies for targeted nanodrug delivery with transplant organ- or immune cell-level precision for treating graft rejection after transplantation. We provide an overview of the mechanism of transplantation rejection, current clinically approved immunosuppressive drugs, and their relevant limitations. Finally, we discuss the targeting principles and advantages of organ- and immune cell-specific delivery technologies. The development of biomaterial-assisted novel therapeutic strategies holds considerable promise for treating organ rejection and clinical translation.

Recent advancements in nanomedicine as a revolutionary approach to treating multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma, the second most common hematological malignancy, remains incurable with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 50 % and recurrence rates near 100 %, despite significant attempts to develop effective medicines. Therefore, there is a pressing demand in the medical field for innovative and more efficient treatments for MM. Currently, the standard approach for treating MM involves administering high-dose chemotherapy, which frequently correlates with improved results; however, one major limiting factor is the significant side effects of these medications. Furthermore, the strategies used to deliver medications to tumors limit their efficacy, whether by rapid clearance from circulation or an insufficient concentration in cancer cells. Cancer treatment has shifted from cytotoxic, nonspecific chemotherapy regimens to molecularly targeted, rationally developed drugs with improved efficacy and fewer side effects. Nanomedicines may provide an effective alternative way to avoid these limits by delivering drugs into the complicated bone marrow microenvironment and efficiently reaching myeloma cells. Putting drugs into nanoparticles can make their pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles much better. This can increase the drug's effectiveness in tumors, extend its time in circulation in the blood, and lower its off-target toxicity. In this review, we introduce several criteria for the rational design of nanomedicine to achieve the best anti-tumoral therapeutic results. Next, we discuss recent advances in nanomedicine for MM therapy.

Challenges and opportunities of poly(amino acid) nanomedicines in cancer therapy

Poly(amino acid) nanomedicines hold significant promise for cancer therapy. However, their clinical translation has not matched the extensive efforts of scientists or the burgeoning body of research. The therapeutic outcomes with most nanomedicines often fall short of the promising results observed in animal experiments. This review explores the challenges faced in cancer therapy using poly(amino acid) nanomedicines, particularly addressing the controversies surrounding the enhanced permeability and retention effect and the lack of methods for controlled and reproducible mass production of poly(amino acid) nanomedicines. Furthermore, this review examines the opportunities emerging in this field due to the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.

Precision-engineered metal and metal-oxide nanoparticles for biomedical imaging and healthcare applications

The growing field of nanotechnology has witnessed numerous advancements over the past few years, particularly in the development of engineered nanoparticles. Compared with bulk materials, metal nanoparticles possess more favorable properties, such as increased chemical activity and toxicity, owing to their smaller size and larger surface area. Metal nanoparticles exhibit exceptional stability, specificity, sensitivity, and effectiveness, making them highly useful in the biomedical field. Metal nanoparticles are in high demand in biomedical nanotechnology, including Au, Ag, Pt, Cu, Zn, Co, Gd, Eu, and Er. These particles exhibit excellent physicochemical properties, including amenable functionalization, non-corrosiveness, and varying optical and electronic properties based on their size and shape. Metal nanoparticles can be modified with different targeting agents such as antibodies, liposomes, transferrin, folic acid, and carbohydrates. Thus, metal nanoparticles hold great promise for various biomedical applications such as photoacoustic imaging, magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography (CT), photothermal, and photodynamic therapy (PDT). Despite their potential, safety considerations, and regulatory hurdles must be addressed for safe clinical applications. This review highlights advancements in metal nanoparticle surface engineering and explores their integration with emerging technologies such as bioimaging, cancer therapeutics and nanomedicine. By offering valuable insights, this comprehensive review offers a deep understanding of the potential of metal nanoparticles in biomedical research.

Predicting tissue distribution and tumor delivery of nanoparticles in mice using machine learning models

Nanoparticles (NPs) can be designed for targeted delivery in cancer nanomedicine, but the challenge is a low delivery efficiency (DE) to the tumor site. Understanding the impact of NPs' physicochemical properties on target tissue distribution and tumor DE can help improve the design of nanomedicines. Multiple machine learning and artificial intelligence models, including linear regression, support vector machine, random forest, gradient boosting, and deep neural networks (DNN), were trained and validated to predict tissue distribution and tumor delivery based on NPs' physicochemical properties and tumor therapeutic strategies with the dataset from Nano-Tumor Database. Compared to other machine learning models, the DNN model had superior predictions of DE to tumors and major tissues. The determination coefficients (R2) for the test datasets were 0.41, 0.42, 0.45, 0.79, 0.87, and 0.83 for DE in tumor, heart, liver, spleen, lung, and kidney, respectively. All the R2 and root mean squared error (RMSE) results of the test datasets were similar to the 5-fold cross validation results. Feature importance analysis showed that the core material of NPs played an important role in output predictions among all physicochemical properties. Furthermore, multiple NP formulations with greater DE to the tumor were determined by the DNN model. To facilitate model applications, the final model was converted to a web dashboard. This model could serve as a high-throughput pre-screening tool to support the design of new and efficient nanomedicines with greater tumor DE and serve as an alternative tool to reduce, refine, and partially replace animal experimentation in cancer nanomedicine research.

Innovative Formulation Platform: Paving the Way for Superior Protein Therapeutics with Enhanced Efficacy and Broadened Applications

Protein therapeutics offer high therapeutic potency and specificity; the broader adoptions and development of protein therapeutics, however, have been constricted by their intrinsic limitations such as inadequate stability, immunogenicity, suboptimal pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, and off-target effects. This review describes a platform technology that formulates individual protein molecules with a thin formulation layer of crosslinked polymers, which confers the protein therapeutics with high activity, enhanced stability, controlled release capability, reduced immunogenicity, improved pharmacokinetics and biodistribution, and ability to cross the blood brain barriers. Based on currently approved protein therapeutics, this formulating platform affords the development of a vast family of superior protein therapeutics with improved efficacy and broadened indications at significantly reduced cost.

Fluorescent Self-Assembled Complexes Based on Glyco-Functionalized G-Quadruplexes as a Targeted Delivery Platform

Targeted delivery systems combined with the stimuli-responsive release of drug molecules hold noteworthy promise for precision medicine, enabling treatments with enhanced effectiveness and reduced adverse effects. An ideal drug delivery platform with versatile targeting moieties, the capability of combinational payloads, and simple preparation is highly desirable. Herein, we developed pH-sensitive fluorescent self-assembled complexes (SACs) of a galactose-functionalized G-quadruplex (G4) and a coumarin carboxamidine derivative as a targeted delivery platform through the nanoprecipitation method. These SACs selectively targeted hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cells in fluorescence imaging after a short incubation and exerted specific anticancer effects in an appropriate dose range. Co-delivery of 1 μM prodrug floxuridine oligomers and 16 μg/mL SACs (minimal hemolytic effect) significantly reduced the cytotoxicity of the nucleoside anticancer drug on normal cells (NIH/3T3), kept up to 70% alive after 72-h incubation, and improved anticancer efficacy compared to SACs alone. This strategy can be extended to ratiometric multidrug delivery through self-assembly for targeted combinational therapy.

Gambogic acid and IR780 self-assembled nanoparticles for combined chemo-phototherapy

Combined chemo-phototherapy has shown considerable advantages and potential in cancer treatment. For this purpose, self-assembled nanoparticles by gambogic acid (GA) and IR780 (referred to as GA-IR780 NPs) were prepared. Herein, GA, an active compound derived from Garcinia hanburyi Hook.f, was selected as a chemo-agent. IR780 was used as a photothermal agent as well as a photosensitizer, which could kill tumor cells via photothermal effect and photodynamic effect. The obtained GA-IR780 NPs were uniform spheres with particle size of ca. 50 nm. The drug loading efficiency of GA and IR780 was 38.42 % and 56.64 %, respectively. The GA-IR780 NPs exhibited excellent photothermal properties as well as photodynamic effect when irradiated by near infrared (NIR) light (808 nm, 2.0 W/cm2). Moreover, the GA-IR780 NPs showed enhanced cytotoxicity with NIR light activation. Results of animal experiments showed that GA-IR780 NPs had the most significant tumor inhibition when irradiated by laser, and the results of H&E, Ki-67 and TUNEL staining confirmed that the GA-IR780 NPs+Laser group caused the most severe tumor tissue damage. The above results indicated that GA-mediated chemotherapy combining with IR780-based phototherapy could significantly improve the anti-tumor efficacy.

Bioactive Nanoliposomes for Enhanced Sonodynamic-Triggered Disulfidptosis-Like Cancer Cell Death via Lipid Peroxidation

Introduction

Cell death regulation holds a unique value in the field of cancer therapy. Recently, disulfidptosis has garnered substantial scientific attention. Previous studies have reported that sonodynamic therapy (SDT) based on reactive oxygen species (ROS) can regulate cancer cell death, achieving an limited anti-cancer effect. However, the integration of SDT with disulfidptosis as an anti-cancer strategy has not been extensively developed. In this study, we constructed an artificial membrane disulfidptosis sonosensitizer, specifically, a nanoliposome (SC@lip) coated with a combination of the chemotherapy medicine Sorafenib (Sora) and sonosensitizer Chlorin e6 (Ce6), to realize a one-stop enhanced SDT effect that induces disulfidptosis-like cancer cell death.

Methods

Sorafenib and Ce6 were co-encapsulated into PEG-modified liposomes, and SC@Lip was constructed using a simple rotary evaporation phacoemulsification method. The cell phagocytosis, ROS generation ability, glutathione (GSH) depletion ability, lipid peroxidation (LPO), and disulfidptosis-like death mediated by SC@Lip under ultrasound (US) irradiation were evaluated. Based on a 4T1 subcutaneous tumor model, both the in vivo biological safety assessment and the efficacy of SDT were assessed.

Results

SC@Lip exhibits high efficiency in cellular phagocytosis. After being endocytosed by 4T1 cells, abundant ROS were produced under SDT activation, and the cell survival rates were below 5%. When applied to a 4T1 subcutaneous tumor model, the enhanced SDT mediated by SC@Lip inhibited tumor growth and prolonged the survival time of mice. In vitro and in vivo experiments show that SC@Lip can enhance the SDT effect and trigger disulfidptosis-like cancer cell death, thus achieving anti-tumor efficacy both in vitro and in vivo.

Conclusion

SC@Lip is a multifunctional nanoplatform with an artificial membrane, which can integrate the functions of sonosensitization and GSH depletion into a biocompatible nanoplatform, and can be used to enhance the SDT effect and promote disulfidptosis-like cancer cell death.

Intraperitoneal drug delivery systems for peritoneal carcinomatosis: Bridging the gap between research and clinical implementation

Several abdominal-located cancers develop metastasis within the peritoneum, what is called peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC), constituting a clinical challenge in their therapeutical management, often leading to poor prognoses. Current multidisciplinary strategies, including cytoreductive surgery (CRS), hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), and pressurized intraperitoneal aerosol chemotherapy (PIPAC), demonstrate efficacy but have limitations. In response, alternative strategies are explored in the drug delivery field for intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Controlled drug delivery offers a promising avenue, maintaining localized drug concentrations for optimal PC management. Drug delivery systems (DDS), including hydrogels, implants, nanoparticles, and hybrid systems, show potential for sustained and region-specific drug release. The present review aims to offer an overview of the advances and current designs of DDS for PC chemotherapy administration, focusing on their composition, main characteristics, and principal experimental outcomes, highlighting the importance of biomaterial rationale design and in vitro/vivo models for their testing. Moreover, since clinical data for human subjects are scarce, we offer a critical discussion of the gap between bench and bedside in DDS translation, emphasizing the need for further research.