Redox homeostasis modulation using theranostic AIE nanoparticles results in positive-feedback drug accumulation and enhanced drug penetration to combat drug-resistant cancer

Polyvinylpyrrolidone Assisted One-Pot Synthesis of Size-Tunable Cocktail Nanodrug for Multifunctional Combat of Cancer

Background

The in vivo barriers and multidrug resistance (MDR) are well recognized as great challenges for the fulfillment of antitumor effects of current drugs, which calls for the development of novel therapeutic agents and innovative drug delivery strategies. Nanodrug (ND) combining multiple drugs with distinct modes of action holes the potential to circumvent these challenges, while the introduction of photothermal therapy (PTT) can give further significantly enhanced efficacy in cancer therapy. However, facile preparation of ND which contains dual drugs and photothermal capability with effective cancer treatment ability has rarely been reported.

Methods

In this study, we selected curcumin (Cur) and doxorubicin (Dox) as two model drugs for the creation of a cocktail ND (Cur-Dox ND). We utilized polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as a stabilizer and regulator to prepare Cur-Dox ND in a straightforward one-pot method.

Results

The size of the resulting Cur-Dox ND can be easily adjusted by tuning the charged ratios. It was noted that both loaded drugs in Cur-Dox ND can realize their functions in the same target cell. Especially, the P-glycoprotein inhibition effect of Cur can synergistically cooperate with Dox, leading to enhanced inhibition of 4T1 cancer cells. Furthermore, Cur-Dox ND exhibited pH-responsive dissociation of loaded drugs and a robust photothermal translation capacity to realize multifunctional combat of cancer for photothermal enhanced anticancer performance. We further demonstrated that this effect can also be realized in 3D multicellular model, which possibly attributed to its superior drug penetration as well as photothermal-enhanced cellular uptake and drug release.

Conclusion

In summary, Cur-Dox ND might be a promising ND for better cancer therapy.

Hyaluronic acid/dextran-based polymeric micelles co-delivering ursolic acid and doxorubicin to mitochondria for potentiating chemotherapy in MDR cancer

Cancer multidrug resistance (MDR) dramatically hindered the efficiency of standard chemotherapy. Mitochondria are highly involved in the occurrence and development of MDR; thus, inducing its malfunction will be an appealing strategy to treat MDR tumors. In this paper, a natural polysaccharides-based nanoplatform (TDTD@UA/HA micelles) with cell and mitochondria dual-targeting ability was facilely fabricated to co-deliver ursolic acid (UA) and doxorubicin (DOX) for combinatorial MDR therapy. TDTD@UA/HA micelles featured a spherical morphology, narrow size distribution (∼140 nm), as well as favorable drug co-loading capacity (DOX: 8.41 %, UA: 9.06 %). After hyaluronic acid (HA)-mediated endocytosis, the lysosomal hyaluronidase promoted the degradation of HA layer and then the positive triphenylphosphine groups were exposed, which significantly enhanced the mitochondria-accumulation of nano micelles. Subsequently, DOX and UA were specifically released into mitochondria under the trigger of endogenous reactive oxygen species (ROS), followed by severe mitochondrial destruction through generating ROS, exhausting mitochondrial membrane potential, and blocking energy supply, etc.; ultimately contributing to the susceptibility restoration of MCF-7/ADR cells to chemotherapeutic agents. Importantly, TDTD@UA/HA micelles performed potent anticancer efficacy without distinct toxicity on the MDR tumor-bearing nude mice model. Overall, the versatile nanomedicine represented a new therapeutic paradigm and held great promise in overcoming MDR-related cancer.

Harnessing Sulforaphane Potential as a Chemosensitizing Agent: A Comprehensive Review

Recent advances in oncological research have highlighted the potential of naturally derived compounds in cancer prevention and treatment. Notably, sulforaphane (SFN), an isothiocyanate derived from cruciferous vegetables including broccoli and cabbage, has exhibited potent chemosensitizing capabilities across diverse cancer types of bone, brain, breast, lung, skin, etc. Chemosensitization refers to the enhancement of cancer cell sensitivity to chemotherapy agents, counteracting the chemoresistance often developed by tumor cells. Mechanistically, SFN orchestrates this sensitization by modulating an array of cellular signaling pathways (e.g., Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin), and regulating the expression and activity of pivotal genes, proteins, and enzymes (e.g., p53, p21, survivin, Bcl-2, caspases). When combined with conventional chemotherapeutic agents, SFN synergistically inhibits cancer cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and metastasis while potentiating drug-induced apoptosis. This positions SFN as a potential adjunct in cancer therapy to augment the efficacy of standard treatments. Ongoing preclinical and clinical investigations aim to further delineate the therapeutic potential of SFN in oncology. This review illuminates the multifaceted role of this phytochemical, emphasizing its potential to enhance the therapeutic efficacy of anti-cancer agents, suggesting its prospective contributions to cancer chemosensitization and management.

Selective homing of brain-derived reconstituted lipid nanoparticles to cerebral ischemic area enables improved ischemic stroke treatment

Lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) hold great promise as carriers for developing drug delivery systems (DDSs) aimed at managing ischemic stroke (IS). Previous research has highlighted the vital role played by the lipid composition and biophysical characteristics of LNPs, influencing their interactions with cells and tissues. This understanding presents an opportunity to engineer LNPs tailored specifically for enhanced IS treatment. We previously introduced the innovative concept of reconstituted lipid nanoparticles (rLNPs), which not only retain the advantages of conventional LNPs but also incorporate lipids from the originating cell or tissue. Brain-derived rLNPs (B-rLNPs) exhibit significantly superior accumulation within the cerebral ischemic region when compared to liver-derived rLNPs (L-rLNPs). The homing effect of B-rLNPs was then employed to construct 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP) loaded DDS (B-rLNPs/NBP) for the treatment of IS. Our results demonstrated that compared with free NBP, B-rLNPs/NBP can significantly reduce infarct volume, neurological deficits, blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage rate, brain water content, neutrophil infiltration, alleviate pathological structures, and improve the motor function in MCAO/R model. We also proved that B-rLNPs/NBP showed further reinforced protective effects on the same model than free NBP through the regulation of TLR4/MyD88/NF-κB (anti-inflammation) and Bax/Bcl-2 (anti-apoptosis) pathways. This study offers a promising tool towards improved IS treatment.

Modification of α-Tocopherol Succinate with a Tumor-targeting Peptide Conjugate Enhances the Antitumor Efficacy of a Paclitaxel-loaded Lipid Aggregate

Paclitaxel (PTX) is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent in the clinic. However, its clinical benefit is limited due to its low water solubility, off-target toxicity, and for being a multidrug-resistant (MDR) substrate. To overcome these limitations in this study, a tumor-targeting peptide (CRGDK peptide, a ligand for NRP-1 receptor) conjugate of α-tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) was synthesized and modified on PTX-loaded lipid aggregate (TL-PTX) to leverage the benefits of α-TOS, which include a) anti-cancer activity, b) increased PTX loading, and c) inhibition of MDR activity. Use of peptide conjugate of α-TOS (α-TOS-CRGDK) in lipid aggregate increased PTX entrapment efficiency by 20%, helped in NRP-1 specific cellular uptake and significantly enhanced apoptotic and cell killing activity (p <0.01) of PTX compared to control formulation (CL-PTX) by inhibiting MDR-activity in melanoma resulting in ∼70% increment in overall survival of melanoma tumor-bearing mice. In conclusion, CRGDK- α-TOS conjugate in association with PTX-loaded liposome provided a unique NRP-1 targeted, drug-resistant reversing anticancer regimen for treating aggressive melanoma.

Sulforaphane Suppresses MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells Growth via miR-19/PTEN Axis to Antagonize the Effect of Butyl Benzyl Phthalate

Sulforaphane (SFN), a major isothiocyanate found in cruciferous vegetables, reportedly exerts extensive antitumor effects. Butyl benzyl phthalate (BBP), a widely used plasticizer, plays a crucial role in the promotion of breast cancer. In the present study, we demonstrated that SFN inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, and suppressed the stemness of MCF-7 cells, whereas BBP exerted the opposite effects; microRNA-19 (miR-19) plays an important role in BBP-induced cell growth and dysregulation mediated via PTEN and p21. The growth-promoting effect of BBP could be mitigated by SFN, accompanied by a reversal of altered expression of miR-19a, miR-19b, PTEN, and p21. SFN also suppressed BBP-induced binding of upregulated miR-19 with PTEN, as determined using a dual-luciferase reporter assay. Collectively, these results demonstrated, for the first time, that SFN regulates the miR-19/PTEN axis to exert protective effects against BBP-mediated breast cancer promotion, suggesting a new potential role for SFN (or SFN-rich foods) in phthalate antagonism.