Multifunctional ZnO@CuS nanoparticles cluster synergize chemotherapy and photothermal therapy for tumor metastasis

Charge-Reversal Nano-Drug Delivery Systems in the Tumor Microenvironment: Mechanisms, Challenges, and Therapeutic Applications

The charge-reversal nano-drug delivery system (CRNDDS) is a promising system for delivering chemotherapy drugs and has gained widespread application in cancer treatment. In this review, we summarize the recent advancements in CRNDDSs in terms of cancer treatment. We also delve into the charge-reversal mechanism of the CRNDDSs, focusing on the acid-responsive, redox-responsive, and enzyme-responsive mechanisms. This study elucidates how these systems undergo charge transitions in response to specific microenvironmental stimuli commonly found in tumor tissues. Furthermore, this review explores the pivotal role of CRNDDSs in tumor diagnosis and treatment, and their potential limitations. By leveraging the unique physiological characteristics of tumors, such as the acidic pH, specific redox potential, and specific enzyme activity, these systems demonstrate enhanced accumulation and penetration at tumor sites, resulting in improved therapeutic efficacy and diagnostic accuracy. The implications of this review highlight the potential of charge-reversal drug delivery systems as a novel and targeted strategy for cancer therapy and diagnosis.

Diagnosis and treatment status of inoperable locally advanced breast cancer and the application value of inorganic nanomaterials

Locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) is a heterogeneous group of breast cancer that accounts for 10-30% of breast cancer cases. Despite the ongoing development of current treatment methods, LABC remains a severe and complex public health concern around the world, thus prompting the urgent requirement for innovative diagnosis and treatment strategies. The primary treatment challenges are inoperable clinical status and ineffective local control methods. With the rapid advancement of nanotechnology, inorganic nanoparticles (INPs) exhibit a potential application prospect in diagnosing and treating breast cancer. Due to the unique inherent characteristics of INPs, different functions can be performed via appropriate modifications and constructions, thus making them suitable for different imaging technology strategies and treatment schemes. INPs can improve the efficacy of conventional local radiotherapy treatment. In the face of inoperable LABC, INPs have proposed new local therapeutic methods and fostered the evolution of novel strategies such as photothermal and photodynamic therapy, magnetothermal therapy, sonodynamic therapy, and multifunctional inorganic nanoplatform. This article reviews the advances of INPs in local accurate imaging and breast cancer treatment and offers insights to overcome the existing clinical difficulties in LABC management.

Advances of Photothermal Agents with Fluorescence Imaging/Enhancement Ability in the Field of Photothermal Therapy and Diagnosis

Photothermal therapy (PTT) is an effective cancer treatment method. Due to its easy focusing and tunability of the irradiation light, direct and accurate local treatment can be performed in a noninvasive manner by PTT. This treatment strategy requires the use of photothermal agents to convert light energy into heat energy, thereby achieving local heating and triggering biochemical processes to kill tumor cells. As a key factor in PTT, the photothermal conversion ability of photothermal agents directly determines the efficacy of PTT. In addition, photothermal agents generally have photothermal imaging (PTI) and photoacoustic imaging (PAI) functions, which can not only guide the optimization of irradiation conditions but also achieve the integration of disease diagnosis. If the photothermal agents have function of fluorescence imaging (FLI) or fluorescence enhancement, they can not only further improve the accuracy in disease diagnosis but also accurately determine the tumor location through multimodal imaging for corresponding treatment. In this paper, we summarize recent advances in photothermal agents with FLI or fluorescence enhancement functions for PTT and tumor diagnosis. According to the different recognition sites, the application of specific targeting photothermal agents is introduced. Finally, limitations and challenges of photothermal agents with fluorescence imaging/enhancement in the field of PTT and tumor diagnosis are prospected.

Efflux systems as a target for anti-biofilm nanoparticles: perspectives on emerging applications

INTRODUCTION

Understanding the role of efflux pumps in biofilm resistance provides valuable insights for developing effective therapeutic strategies. Drugs designed for targeting efflux pumps in drug design holds promise for combating biofilm-related infections. Nanoparticles offer unparalleled advantages in designing drugs targeting efflux pumps.

AREAS COVERED

This review rigorously examines the existing body of knowledge on the prospective targeting of efflux pumps using metal-based nanoparticles. It includes and analyses the pertinent research findings sourced from the PubMed and SciFinder databases. It covers the experimental studies on efflux inhibition by nanoparticles and provides detailed analyses of their mechanisms of action, elucidating their interactions with the efflux system and their influence on biofilm formation and persistence.

EXPERT OPINION

The potential of nanoparticles to act as potent antibacterial agents through efflux pump inhibition remains tantalizing, although hindered by limited mechanistic understanding. From the burgeoning research landscape nanoparticles emerge as a novel direction for shaping antimicrobial drug design. Notably, beyond their contribution to drug resistance, efflux pumps play a pivotal role in biofilm development. The deliberate disruption of these pumps can effectively reduce biofilm adhesion and maturation. More details however are needed to exploit this potential.

Research Progress of Photothermal Nanomaterials in Multimodal Tumor Therapy

The aggressive growth of cancer cells brings extreme challenges to cancer therapy while triggering the exploration of the application of multimodal therapy methods. Multimodal tumor therapy based on photothermal nanomaterials is a new technology to realize tumor cell thermal ablation through near-infrared light irradiation with a specific wavelength, which has the advantages of high efficiency, less adverse reactions, and effective inhibition of tumor metastasis compared with traditional treatment methods such as surgical resection, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Photothermal nanomaterials have gained increasing interest due to their potential applications, remarkable properties, and advantages for tumor therapy. In this review, recent advances and the common applications of photothermal nanomaterials in multimodal tumor therapy are summarized, with a focus on the different types of photothermal nanomaterials and their application in multimodal tumor therapy. Moreover, the challenges and future applications have also been speculated.

Novel Tumor-Targeting Nanoparticles for Cancer Treatment-A Review

Being one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, cancer represents an ongoing interdisciplinary challenge for the scientific community. As currently used treatments may face limitations in terms of both efficiency and adverse effects, continuous research has been directed towards overcoming existing challenges and finding safer specific alternatives. In particular, increasing interest has been gathered around integrating nanotechnology in cancer management and subsequentially developing various tumor-targeting nanoparticles for cancer applications. In this respect, the present paper briefly describes the most used cancer treatments in clinical practice to set a reference framework for recent research findings, further focusing on the novel developments in the field. More specifically, this review elaborates on the top recent studies concerning various nanomaterials (i.e., carbon-based, metal-based, liposomes, cubosomes, lipid-based, polymer-based, micelles, virus-based, exosomes, and cell membrane-coated nanomaterials) that show promising potential in different cancer applications.