Combinatorial delivery of doxorubicin and acridine orange by gold core silica shell nanospheres functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol) and 4-methoxybenzamide for cancer targeted therapy

Red blood cell membrane-camouflaged gold-core silica shell nanorods for cancer drug delivery and photothermal therapy

Gold core mesoporous silica shell (AuMSS) nanorods are multifunctional nanomedicines that can act simultaneously as photothermal, drug delivery, and bioimaging agents. Nevertheless, it is reported that once administrated, nanoparticles can be coated with blood proteins, forming a protein corona, that directly impacts on nanomedicines' circulation time, biodistribution, and therapeutic performance. Therefore, it become crucial to develop novel alternatives to improve nanoparticles' half-life in the bloodstream. In this work, Polyethylenimine (PEI) and Red blood cells (RBC)-derived membranes were combined for the first time to functionalize AuMSS nanorods and simultaneously load acridine orange (AO). The obtained results revealed that the RBC-derived membranes promoted the neutralization of the AuMSS' surface charge and consequently improved the colloidal stability and biocompatibility of the nanocarriers. Indeed, the in vitro data revealed that PEI/RBC-derived membranes' functionalization also improved the nanoparticles' cellular internalization and was capable of mitigating the hemolytic effects of AuMSS and AuMSS/PEI nanorods. In turn, the combinatorial chemo-photothermal therapy mediated by AuMSS/PEI/RBC_AO nanorods was able to completely eliminate HeLa cells, contrasting with the less efficient standalone therapies. Such data reinforce the potential of AuMSS nanomaterials to act simultaneously as photothermal and chemotherapeutic agents.

Nanomedicine-Based Delivery Strategies for Breast Cancer Treatment and Management

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer among women globally. It is caused by mutations in the estrogen/progesterone receptors and conventional treatment methods are commonly utilized. About 70–80 percent of individuals with the early-stage non-metastatic disease may be cured. Conventional treatment is far less than the optimal ratio, as demonstrated through the high mortality rate of women with this cancer. However, conventional treatment methods like surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy are not as effective as expected and lead to concerns about low bioavailability, low cellular uptake, emerging resistance, and adverse toxicities. A nanomedicine-based approach is a promising alternative for breast cancer treatment. The present era is witnessing rapid advancements in nanomedicine as a platform for investigating novel therapeutic applications and modern intelligent healthcare management strategies. This paper focuses on nanomedicine-based therapeutic interventions that are becoming more widely accepted for improving treatment effectiveness and reducing undesired side effects in breast cancer patients. By evaluating the state-of-the-art tools and taking the challenges involved into consideration, various aspects of the proposed nano-enabled therapeutic approaches have been discussed in this review.

HA/PEI-coated acridine orange-loaded gold-core silica shell nanorods for cancer-targeted photothermal and chemotherapy

Aims: To develop a tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal nanomedicine through the functionalization of acridine orange (AO)-loaded gold-core mesoporous silica shell (AuMSS) nanorods with polyethylenimine (PEI) and hyaluronic acid (HA). Methods: Functionalization of the AuMSS nanorods was achieved through the chemical linkage of PEI followed by electrostatic adsorption of HA. Results: HA functionalization improved AuMSS' cytocompatibility by decreasing blood hemolysis, and PEI-HA inclusion promoted a controlled and sustained AO release. In vitro assays revealed that HA functionalization increased the internalization of nanoparticles by human negroid cervix epithelioid carcinoma cancer (HeLa) cells, and the combinatorial treatment mediated by AuMSS/PEI/HA_AO nanorods presented an enhanced effect, with >95% of cellular death. Conclusion: AuMSS/PEI/HA_AO formulations can act as tumor-targeted chemo-photothermal nanomedicines for the combinatorial therapy of cervical cancer.